Family Training

"The role of the family in God’s plan is 'to bring us happiness, to help us learn correct principles in a loving atmosphere, and to prepare us for eternal life.'" -Elder Quentin L. Cook

In my family, the close interactions that I have with family members help me to have a place where I can share personal things, feel love, have fun, and grow. These close interactions can also involve seeing each other's weaknesses, special efforts to get along, and forgiving one another.

I think of when I was trained to be a teaching assistant. Our boss gives us advice and sets an example of being creative, dealing with challenging groups of students, and grading fairly. Having these skills ahead of time prepared me to have better experiences with my students.

Similarly, the missionary training center prepared me to be a focused missionary.

I think of a family as an eternal version of a training program. In my family, I gain a better focus on what's really important, and this helps me to be a better friend and student, and prepares me to have my own family. It seems that having a happy family life makes us more successful in every other aspect of our lives.

Fortunately, my 'training' group never needs to separate. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we will be resurrected. Through temple marriages, we become eternal families.

The Free Market and Foundations of the Restoration of the Gospel

Free market economists believe that government should do a few things to ensure a well-functioning market.

1. Prevent coercion: if exchanges are voluntary, we assume they are beneficial to both buyers and sellers.

2. Prevent fraud: if people are tricked into buying something, or don't know who they're really dealing with, then they will probably just stop doing business with new people.

3. Protect property rights: this allows people to know that they can keep and develop what they purchase (for example they can prepare farmland and not worry that it will be taken from them before they can actually make a profit with the land that they worked so hard to prepare). Without this, people wouldn't put effort into long-term projects.

4. Enforce contracts: if two people agree to a contract, then we assume that it's beneficial to them. But if they aren't sure if the contract will be kept, then they might not enter into the contract.

The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ also grants us liberty and productivity.

1. Understanding the Divinity of Jesus Christ: Through scriptures that Joseph Smith brought forth, we learn that Jesus Christ was sent by his Father to die for us, so that we may be resurrected and judged according to our efforts to live the gospel. Jesus Christ epitomizes preventing coercion; he suffered for our sins so that we may "choose liberty and eternal life". And if we choose to not follow him, he lets us depart.

2. The First Vision: Joseph Smith prayed to know which of all the churches was true; God answered his prayer, explaining that none were true at that time. We also can pray to know which church is true; this will help us discern who is telling us the truth and who might be a fraud.

3. The Book of Mormon: These sacred scriptures give examples of prospering in the land by living the commandments. One character, Moroni, is the captain of a righteous people called the Nephites. In a battle to protect themselves from invaders, he wrote on a banner called the 'Title of Liberty.' He wrote "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children." The importance of rights is seen in the Book of Mormon.

4. The Restoration of the Priesthood: Through Joseph Smith, Jesus Christ restored the authority to perform sacred ordinances, like baptism. These ordinances allow us to make sacred covenants or contracts with God.

What can this mean for my life?
Oftentimes, knowing about God's laws can make us feel trapped and like we have less liberty. But a few truths that have been restored help us to see that we really do have more liberty. Knowing about God's love and understanding toward us should make it clear that his laws will always be for our well-being. Also, the covenants that we make with God are to do things that deep down I really want to do, such as loving others. The times when I do not want to keep God's laws, I am being affected by short-term desires, and I'm grateful for covenants that keep me committed to my long-term desires.

 The restoration of the priesthood allows us to make covenants in which we are truly committed and Christ's power is available to us.

The Title of Liberty
3 Nephi 27:14
2 Nephi 2:27
President Hinckley's talk "The Cornerstones of Our Faith"
Dear Miss Mormon blog about the Book of Mormon

#BecauseHeLives

Prospect Theory, or ownership bias,  assumes that people don't receive happiness from having a certain amount of something, but from gaining something. It also assumes that losing something, which I had owned and become accustomed to, influences me more than a gain of equal size. Being this way hurts us. For example, suppose I make $1 more per hour than usual for a day, and the following day my pay is reduced back to normal. I might view that whole experience as hurting me more than helping me, even though I have more money because of it.

Experienced traders do not respond this way as often; by appreciating the benefits of trade, they don't get hung up on keeping what they have.

(experienced trader)

All of us can overcome the bad effects of living according to Prospect Theory. Sometimes we avoid taking beneficial risks because we worry that our reputation could be hurt. But through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we see that there are no lost causes. Our efforts to be the best we can be will be rewarded, and when we mess up, Christ is there to catch us, #BecauseHeLives.