First Devotional (Day 6)

The great and largely rumored Devotional came to pass today. The first one of the semester mind you. Thousands of students, prepared for this two o' clock hour, drifted onto to campus and flocked towards all open seats in the available auditorium settings of the school.

Swarming like insects over the beach, like bees

That hum from a hollow rock in an endless line

And fly in clusters over flowers in spring,

Grouping themselves in aerial throngs.

(Iliad)

I was just trying to enjoy my highly desirable 12" sandwich when this woman came up to me and held out the "Usher" name-tag. My friends where gathered round me, "You can't put that thing on me," I screamed, "I won't do it." 

"You're an Usher, George?"My friends asked bewildered.

"... Yep," and I stood up taking the badge, "I did sign up for it after all." 

They looked at me like a stranger. I told them to take my stuff in and took my post at the eastern entrance to the Snow Drama Theatre, bracing myself for the oncoming swarms.

A wave from the restless, churning sea

Crashes on a beach, and the water seethes and

     thunders. (Iliad)

Inside, big man in suit on big screen commenced to speak about love and things. Entitlement. The words came forth out of his mouth like water in a babbling brook. If the Spirit of Entitlement infiltrates and poisons the students and the faculty and the staff of BYU-I then the Spirit of Ricks will soon be distinguished. The Spirit of Entitlement is the idea that God owes us something.

How do we know if we have the Spirit of Entitlement?

1. Are we overly critical of others?
2. Do we use the word deserve to often? "I deserve this," "I don't deserve that."
3. Are we to focused on status and rank?
4. If we are not recognized for doing some act, do we immediately start to think "what about me?"
5. Are we often justifying special treatment for ourselves?

The antidote for the Spirit of Entitlement is the Spirit of Gratitude. To have more gratitude, do the following:

1. Pray with real intent
2. Partake of the sacrament weekly, remembering the Savior
3. Go to the Temple often.

When we pray with real intent we will trusting in the merits and the mercy and the grace of Christ. By partaking of the sacrament we remember the atonement of Christ. On going to the temple often we feel more of the great presence and grander of Our Lord God, Christ and the Father. 

These are principles that we should all understand, and if applied in our lives, we will be able to be humble and have strength in God. Truly, I know that Christ lives, that we owe everything to him and God the Father. All that we have is theirs. I desire to serve them with all that I have, and I believe also that in the same way we owe everything back to our temporal parents- they have given us all that we have in this life, if it were not by them, we would not be here.

Then fathers wont get along with their kids anymore, 

Nor guests with hosts, nor partner with partner, 

And brothers won't be friends, the way they used to be.

Nobody'll honor their parents when they get old

But the'll curse them and give them a hard time,

Godless rascals, and never think about paying them

  back.

For all the trouble it was to raise them.

(Works and Days)

But let us rather focus on the good. Gratitude is a great key to happiness. 

All of the available viewing areas were overflowing. At its end I finally rejoiced at my reunion with sandwich, my one true love. 

And then I did the Insanity workout. Ugh, bad choice.

To see the BYU-I official site for devotional.

http://www.byui.edu/devotionals/default.htm