BYU Education Week 2012

This year was my first year ever to attend education week at BYU. I was able to stay with a really great friend of mine, Alisa. She's so awesome and we had lots of fun hanging out. :) The week was packed with fun classes on the BYU campus. I attended classes on the quest for self-mastery, foreign languages, understanding the spirit, how to be healthy, and some fun dance classes. I sorta know how to tango now! Sorta. I was able to take some notes so I will put a few of them up here. A few of the speakers were David A. Christensen, Tad R. Callister, S. Dee Barrett, R. Kirk Belnap, Stephanie Halford Taylor, and Stan G. Crippen. I will of course only put a few of my notes up since there are so many. I filled up at least half a notebook!

A Few Notes from David A. Christensen
- "When a man wages war against his weakness, this is the most holy war he can ever enter, and the joy of accomplishment is the most exquisite."
- If you're on a quest for self-mastery you need to keep your priorities straight. Our first priority should be to build/maintain our own spiritual and physical strength.
- In overcoming weaknesses, you must be very careful about what you decide you need to overcome.
- "Let no person give up prayer because he has not the spirit of prayer, neither let any earthly circumstance hurry you in this great duty." -Brigham Young
- "If we ignore what the Lord has given us (Book of Mormon) then we may lose the very power which we seek." -Benson
- "The spiritual control over the body may be secured by starting with the physical appetite." -Ballard
- God does not expect you to walk out of here and change everything, only to use wisdom and be a little better. If you can do this, He is pleased.
- Miraculous powers are available to those who seek diligently, kneeling before Him on a regular basis.
- When was the last time you knelt before God and pleaded for the gifts of the Spirit that could eliminate your weaknesses?
- The harder you try the more Satan is going to come at you.
- We can only move so fast and must be patient in our eternal quest for perfection. BE PATIENT.

A Few Notes from Tad R. Callister
- Knowing God, man becomes like God.
- If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to ask for the gift that will make us perfect.
- Is it more Christian to seek partial godhood? Don't short-sight yourself by choosing the easy way.
(The devotional he gave was packed with really good stuff. I couldn't write notes fast enough so that's why I have just a few bullet points for him.)

A Few Notes from S. Dee Barrett
- Anything that is above what God wants us to have is called lust.
- Satan's biggest secret: If he can get us to want something so bad, to lust after it, then he can get us to do really stupid things.
- Prayer and scripture study is like putting a cowbell around Satan's neck; we will hear him coming.
- Pray for meekness, and attraction to meekness. Being meek is confidence, knowledge of where our power really comes from.
- As we pray and plead we slowly find ourselves getting back in line, getting rid of excess desires.
- No matter what, the Lord will do something; it's His nature.
- Once you have done what He asks, go back and report. Keep the Lord updated, tell Him how you feel.
- In the morning decide what you are going to do that day, then run it by the Lord.
- What do you do when you don't feel an answer to your prayer? Thank the Lord, it is evidence of His trust.
- If we feel no confirmation immediately, we should act on our decision. (If we are doing all we can do)
- When He answers YES it is to give us confidence, NO it is to prevent error, and when He doesn't answer it is to help us grow in Him.