Show Notes for Episode 18, the Bonus Episode to Season 1. If I’m not defined by my accomplishes and I’m not defined by my trials, then Who Am I? Learn a valuable lesson on how it’s not what’s on the outside that counts but what’s on the inside. Includes the story of Zacchaeus, a beautiful quote by Elder Maxwell, a story shared by Elder Oaks, and an FHE suggestion. This episode goes along with Come, Follow Me for May 20-26, 2019.
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PERSONAL STUDY [1:58]
1.WHO AM I? I am an inventor. I hold a world record of 1093 patents. I created the world’s first industrial research laboratory. I invented the sound-recording device, the motion picture projector and founded the motion picture industry. In 1928 I received the Congressional Gold Medal. My greatest known invention is the light bulb. I am………Thomas Edison
2. WHO AM I? I am an American basketball player. I am the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Regular Season MVP, Finals MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year. I won 3 NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVP awards and was a member of the US men’s Olympic basketball team (dubbed “The Dream Team”) that won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. I am……Larry Bird
3. If you had to answer the question WHO AM I? What would you say? The most common response given by people is to name what they do for a living – like I’m a doctor, I’m in finance, or I build houses. Another common response is to name one of your life’s accomplishments – such as I played football in college, I’m really good at painting, or I’ve hiked Mt. Everest. Whatever the case may be, these are all things that we have done in our lives and we should be very proud of these things, but does that really answer the question WHO AM I?
4. These are talents the Lord has blessed us with and it makes Him very pleased when we share and develop these talents, but are the accomplishments themselves really who we are? Is it our accomplishments what Heavenly Father really cares about? Does he care about how many trophies, ribbons, or medals we have won? Does he care about how successful we are? These are things of a worldly nature, and they do not define us.
5. I believe Heavenly Father is more interested in the life lessons that we have learned along the way. The problems we have had to face and the challenges we have had to overcome to get where we are today. There are always obstacles to overcome if we are to accomplish anything worthwhile – whether it be to develop our talents or as we simply try to stay on the straight and narrow path. What matters to our Father in Heaven is the knowledge that we gain and the lives that we touch in the process.
6. Ask yourself this question again, WHO AM I? Maybe you’ll answer it now with what you have had to overcome or the experiences you have gone through to get where you are today. Many times, we don’t want to share the challenges we have faced or the things we have gone through because we feel embarrassed or feel we are a failure. We don’t want people to know what we’ve been through or are going through because we are afraid of what others might think, and why? Because the world not only labels people by their accomplishments but they also label them by their failures or hardships.
7. Edison is famous for his lightbulb, but did you know that when he was 14 he contracted scarlet fever. The effect of the fever, as well as a train incident, caused Edison to become completely deaf in his left ear and 80-percent deaf in the other. We all know that Edison made thousands of attempts at the lightbulb before he was finally successful. But did you also know that when Edison was 67 years old, a massive explosion erupted inside his plant and it was instantly engulfed in flames? Edison determined that he’d lost $920,000 (about 23 million in today’s dollars). The flames had consumed years of priceless records and prototypes, and his plant’s insurance covered only about a third of the total damage.
8. Now had he let his deafness define him, he may have come to be known as simply the deaf boy. Or had he given up on the lightbulb after only a few attempts, he may have become known as simply the man who liked to tinker in his garage. Or had he let the total destruction of his plant stop him from rebuilding and making even more money than he ever had before, he could have just been known as the inventor who lost everything.
9. Then you have Larry Bird. Bird was born dirt poor in a small town in Indiana. He had a hard childhood. His parents divorced and his alcoholic father committed suicide. Because of his success in High School, he did receive a scholarship to the University of Indiana but because of the overwhelming size of the school and his severe lack of funds, he dropped out and hitched hiked 50 miles home.
10. Had Bird given up when he got back home – he wouldn’t have worked as a garbage man and saved up enough money to return to college but this time to Indiana State University where he became a national basketball figure. Had he not done that and just quit- he could have easily become known as the man whose father committed suicide and who had a promising basketball career but gave it all up and hitched hiked home.
11. We all face hard things. And in today’s world not only do we go through difficult challenges, but often times we have a family member or loved one that also goes through a difficult challenge that affects us as well. Some of those challenges might include drugs, bankruptcy, job loss, divorced parents or single parenting, suicide or attempted suicide, a wayward child, health problems, affair, same-sex attraction, rape, physical limitations, abuse, theft, estranged family member, alcohol, pornography, miscarriage or unable to conceive, death of a loved one and the list goes on. These are the trials and tribulations we are called to bear in this mortal life. These are the trials and tribulations that we must experience as we walk through the refiner’s fire. They are to humble us, teach us, shape us and mold us but they do not define us. With the help of our Savior, we can overcome these challenges and we can become better because of them. And although others may label us as the one with the addiction problem, or the one who has a wayward child, or the one who lost his job– it is not who we really are.
12. So now you’re probably asking yourself, WHO AM I then? If I’m not defined by my accomplishments and I’m not defined by my trials then WHO AM I? One of my favorite chocolate candies are those Lindt Lindor chocolate truffles, the ones that you bite into and they are filled with that delicious yumminess inside. They are so good- especially the ones with the caramel inside! Biting into one of those and tasting that gooey delicious caramel in the middle – those are my favorite! Did you know that you are that stuff in the middle? Just as the caramel is what’s inside of the chocolate, you are defined by what’s inside of you.
13. How do I know what’s inside of me, you might ask? To truly answer this, you will need to ask yourself a few questions. Some of those questions might include:
How do I act when I am faced with a challenge?
Do I blame others?
Do I make excuses and say things like, “That’s just who I am?”
Do I give up and say it’s too hard?
OR
Do I follow the prophet?
Do I surround myself with the spirit and with others who invite the spirit?
Do I do those simple primary answers like pray, read my scriptures and go to church?
Do I find joy in the journey? Do I stay positive?
14. Did you know Edison’s response to becoming deaf was, “Good, I’ll be able to concentrate”? Or when his plant was engulfed in flames his son Charles said that Edison calmly walked over to him and said, “Go get your mother and all her friends. They’ll never see a fire like this again.” When Charles objected, Edison said, “It’s all right. We’ve just got rid of a lot of rubbish.”
15. Another question you might ask yourself would be, “Do I let my trials motivate me to succeed as they did Larry Bird?” Bird attributes his trials to motivating him to do all that he could, like taking 200 practice shots every morning before going to school. For a complete set of self-evaluation questions, we could read all of Alma Chapter 5, but to save some time, and for those who prefer the simple version, if we were to narrow down all of these questions to just one, that one question would be, “What is the desire of my heart?”
16. Elder Neal A. Maxwell has said, “…What we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will receive in eternity.”
17. Elder Dallin H. Oaks has also said, “Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming.”
18. It is our desire that is at the core of everything that we are or will become. Do you remember what the Lord said about how we will be judged in the end? “For I, [saith] the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their heart.” (D&C 137:9)
19. Can our desires change? Can our desires go from bad to good and good to bad? Yes they can. It’s like the story of the old Indian Chief that told his grandson, “My son, there is a battle between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil. The other is Good.” The boy thought about it and asked, “Grandfather, which wolf wins?” The old man quietly replied, “The one you feed.”
20. In the scriptures we’re told of the change in the Lamanite King that was taught by Aaron. The King asked Aaron what he needed to do that he may have eternal life. Aaron told him he needed to repent of his sins and the King’s response was, “I will give away all of my sins to know thee…” Even if we but have the smallest flicker of desire to do good, if we feed that desire, it will grow.
21. Elder Oaks also shares a story:
“How do we develop desires? Few will have the kind of crisis that motivated Aaron Ralston, but his experience provides a valuable lesson about developing desires. While Ralston was hiking in a remote canyon in southern Utah, an 800-pound rock shifted suddenly and trapped his right arm. For five lonely days he struggled to free himself. When he was about to give up and accept death, he had a vision of a 3-year-old boy running toward him and being scooped up with his left arm. Understanding this as a vision of his future son and an assurance that he could still live, Ralston summoned the courage and took drastic action to save his life before his strength ran out. He broke the two bones in his trapped right arm and then used the knife in his multitool to cut off that arm. He then summoned the strength to hike five miles for help. What an example of the power of an overwhelming desire! When we have a vision of what we can become, our desire and our power to act increase enormously.”
22. Once again, I ask you, “How would you answer the question Who Am I?” That is an answer that only you can give. Although the world and others may try to answer it for you, only you and your Father in Heaven know who you truly are.
23. Jesus teaches us this great lesson in Luke 19:1-10 when he shares the story of Zacchaeus. In Jesus Day, many people assumed that the publicans, or tax collectors, were dishonest and stole from the people. Zacchaeus was the chief publican and wealthy so, of course, many people assumed that he was dishonest and stole from them. The story starts out with Zacchaeus wanting to see Jesus but because of everyone surrounding Him, and the scriptures say that Zacchaeus was little of stature, Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus. Jesus looked up, saw Zacchaeus and called for him to come down and said I am going to abide in your house today. Well, when the people saw this, of course they murmured. In their eyes, Jesus was going to be a guest with a man that was dishonest and stole from them. But in Luke 19:8 we learn the kind of person Zacchaeus really was.
- And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I store him fourfold.
What a great example of someone being defined by their occupation and even by their possessions, yet was that really who Zacchaeus was? No. He was a good man and the Lord knew it.
24. The world judges on the outward appearance but the Lord judges by the desire of our hearts. May one day, we each answer the question Who Am I? with the answer, “I am a glorified exalted being standing in the presence of my Father in Heaven.” I testify that we each have the power to do so, if it so be the desire of our hearts. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
FHE [18:53]
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Yours Truly,
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