Mike Pargeter, My Hero
I hope Mike is okay with me using his name in my blog. I don't really have a way to confirm because I've never actually met Mike. I don't know what he looks like, where he lives, or his favorite color. I don't know really anything about him other than the fact that he saved my life, in a very figurative sense. Mike, just like me was a guy with a problem. The particulars of the problem are not important. What matters is that Mike was somehow able to solve his problem and what makes Mike my hero is that he posted his solution in his blog on the Internet. (Those interested in the gory details of my issue can visit Mike's blog. Don't say I didn't warn you though).
This is not an uncommon situation for computer nerds. Often when we run into a problem the first place we turn is Google. I've often told people who ask me what I do for work that I'm a professional Googler. The amount of information at our fingertips is amazing and between Google and YouTube, a solution can be found for nearly any technical challenge. So as I sat at work and the clock sped right past 5:00 with me still glued to my chair, unable to leave until I'd solved this problem, I turned to the Interwebs for help and I found Mike. When I needed help and answers to problems that were preventing me from moving forward I found someone else who had overcome the same problem. When I need guidance and direction, I found a hero.
If this pattern sounds familiar to any of you, it's because the gospel operates the same way. What are the scriptures after all, if not a collection of the writings of people who had problems and were able to solve those problems. When you have challenges and problems that are holding you back you can turn to the scriptures for help and guidance. Nephi reminds us that the scriptures were not written for the benefit of the authors but rather so that their "children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (2 Nephi 25:26). The scriptures are a spiritual Google, with answers waiting for all our deep, eternal questions.
The issue is that society is evolving and with this evolution we are losing the ability to glean what we need from the scriptures. Social media has trained up-and-coming generations to digest information in much smaller chunks. It's getting to the point where if you can't say something in less than 140 characters, you might as well not bother because nobody is going to read that far. We're far to busy to pause on one topic for longer than 6 seconds because there is so much out there that we have to move on quickly to the next thing so we're not left in the dust.
Pop culture is evolving at an ever increasing pace. All of you "cool" parents who just barely figured out LOL and BFF, I've got bad news. You're still behind. Trying to stay caught up with today's youth is a nearly impossible task because you stop and take breaks to digest all of the new information you get. Your kids don't. They consume and move one. They're like the aliens from Independence Day that invade a planet just to consume it's resources and then move on to the next planet. They don't think about how to create sustainable resources. They are only concerned with keeping their appetite for new information fed.
So, reading the scriptures is hard for them, not only because it's written in a language they barely understand (you can call it English all you want, but when was the last time you heard someone actually say "Behold"), it's really long. I mean, way more than 140 characters. I often wonder if youth today wouldn't get more out of it if it were a compilation of tweets instead of volumes of scripture.
@nephi man my bros are jerks #goanddo #gettheplates #oldworldproblems #bornofgoodlyparents
@samthelamanite u can't touch this
@judas hey @petertherock at least I got paid #deniedhimonce #30pieces
We have to help our youth see that the scriptures are not just some boring, hard to read set of books that their parents and leaders make them read. The scriptures are answers to our problems and our prayers, written by others who went through the same things. They say that wisdom is what you get when you read between the lines and experience is what you get when you don't. Learn from the mistakes of others. Learn from Peter how to maintain your convictions regardless of the circumstances. Learn from Laman and Lemeul how to listen to the Spirit and put aside your own pride. Learn from Moses how to say yes to a calling, even when you feel wholly inadequate. Find your heroes in the scriptures and follow their example.
If it weren't for Mike, I'd still be in my chair in my office tearing my hair out trying to learn what he already learned. If it weren't for the scriptures I'd be somewhere else entirely. #iknowthischurchistrue
This is not an uncommon situation for computer nerds. Often when we run into a problem the first place we turn is Google. I've often told people who ask me what I do for work that I'm a professional Googler. The amount of information at our fingertips is amazing and between Google and YouTube, a solution can be found for nearly any technical challenge. So as I sat at work and the clock sped right past 5:00 with me still glued to my chair, unable to leave until I'd solved this problem, I turned to the Interwebs for help and I found Mike. When I needed help and answers to problems that were preventing me from moving forward I found someone else who had overcome the same problem. When I need guidance and direction, I found a hero.
If this pattern sounds familiar to any of you, it's because the gospel operates the same way. What are the scriptures after all, if not a collection of the writings of people who had problems and were able to solve those problems. When you have challenges and problems that are holding you back you can turn to the scriptures for help and guidance. Nephi reminds us that the scriptures were not written for the benefit of the authors but rather so that their "children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (2 Nephi 25:26). The scriptures are a spiritual Google, with answers waiting for all our deep, eternal questions.
The issue is that society is evolving and with this evolution we are losing the ability to glean what we need from the scriptures. Social media has trained up-and-coming generations to digest information in much smaller chunks. It's getting to the point where if you can't say something in less than 140 characters, you might as well not bother because nobody is going to read that far. We're far to busy to pause on one topic for longer than 6 seconds because there is so much out there that we have to move on quickly to the next thing so we're not left in the dust.
Pop culture is evolving at an ever increasing pace. All of you "cool" parents who just barely figured out LOL and BFF, I've got bad news. You're still behind. Trying to stay caught up with today's youth is a nearly impossible task because you stop and take breaks to digest all of the new information you get. Your kids don't. They consume and move one. They're like the aliens from Independence Day that invade a planet just to consume it's resources and then move on to the next planet. They don't think about how to create sustainable resources. They are only concerned with keeping their appetite for new information fed.
So, reading the scriptures is hard for them, not only because it's written in a language they barely understand (you can call it English all you want, but when was the last time you heard someone actually say "Behold"), it's really long. I mean, way more than 140 characters. I often wonder if youth today wouldn't get more out of it if it were a compilation of tweets instead of volumes of scripture.
@nephi man my bros are jerks #goanddo #gettheplates #oldworldproblems #bornofgoodlyparents
@samthelamanite u can't touch this
@judas hey @petertherock at least I got paid #deniedhimonce #30pieces
We have to help our youth see that the scriptures are not just some boring, hard to read set of books that their parents and leaders make them read. The scriptures are answers to our problems and our prayers, written by others who went through the same things. They say that wisdom is what you get when you read between the lines and experience is what you get when you don't. Learn from the mistakes of others. Learn from Peter how to maintain your convictions regardless of the circumstances. Learn from Laman and Lemeul how to listen to the Spirit and put aside your own pride. Learn from Moses how to say yes to a calling, even when you feel wholly inadequate. Find your heroes in the scriptures and follow their example.
If it weren't for Mike, I'd still be in my chair in my office tearing my hair out trying to learn what he already learned. If it weren't for the scriptures I'd be somewhere else entirely. #iknowthischurchistrue
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