Tribute to Bro. R.

This post is a tribute to Brother R., my seminary teacher this past school year. He was in seminary with my mom his senior year and my mom's freshman year. They sat next to each other and he slept the whole time - his dad was the seminary teacher. Haha he got bachi! (He got what he deserved in Japanese) He's signing yearbooks in the picture above, me and Gina were the first students to ask him to sign ours)

And having seminary for an hour every Sunday and having it in Japanese and having Maika and her sister Mana being the only other active seminary students...ya I didn't have a good experience. There's nothing wrong with it being in Japanese, it's just not my native language. And our teacher had just been called that year and had no idea what she was doing.

But I'd just like to say that Brother R. knew what he was doing. I was always so excited for each class, and wished that I could have it everyday instead of every other day. You could tell that he always was prepared for each lesson. Being a seminary teacher is hard work. You always have to be spiritually prepared. And be motivational all the time. And be a good listener.

He was always there for us. Me, Gina, and Tashi would go over to seminary almost everyday after school to just talk and hang out. He probably got tired of listening to all these silly teenage girls. He helped me learn a lot of spiritual stuff that I needed to. I like all the stories he would tell that wouldn't really have anything to do with the lesson (but they were good). Like the story of Joseph Smith talking to John the Beloved. My ancestor was with him when they were talking!!! I just thought that was cool because that's a story that's been told in our family.

He taught 3 of my aunts - My dad's baby sisters Gina and Emily at B. High, and my mom's baby sister Micaela here at this school. I don't know why exactly we moved here to F. Town for only a year, but I know that Brother R. has a lot to do with it. He taught me to talk to my Heavenly Father about everything, because He knows EXACTLY what I'm going through. And He can give me the perfect guidance and comfort that I need.

Things I learned from Brother R.:

1. Can you be "mostly" honest? No, just like you can't be "mostly pregnant"
2. Don't steady the ark like Uzzah, that's like trying to steady the Lord
3. Remember the "Rule of Ought" - Be where you ought to when you ought to being with who you ought to, doing what you ought to
4. The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion, it needs to be the keystone of our testimonies
5. Your testimony can die, you need to nourish it
6. Real fasting take work
7. If we don't pay fast offerings, we don't get the full affect of the fast
8. Spiritual food is sweet, nourishing, and free of money
9. A priesthood holder is an agent of the Lord, you're doing the Lord's errand
10. How's your cistern? Is it full, or is it like the Jews' in the days of Jeremiah
11. If you violate the Strength of Youth, the Lord's safety net will disappear
12. True prophets are called by God, teach righteousness as the only true security, prophesy the truth (even when it's painful), preach against sin, condemn false prophets, and their prophecies come true
13. False prophets say what they want to say, what the people want to hear, offer false promises, don't preach against sin, prophecies don't come true
14. Prophetic counsel changes the very ground you stand upon
15. What drives you? What are the intents of your heart?
16. How's your watchtower? Is Pres. Monsen your watchman? If you don't have a watchman, the enemy comes by night
17. The power of your testimony affects your posterity
18. The Word of Wisdom is more than just a health code, it may be more valueable to you spiritually
19. You need to stay in the condition to receive revelation
20. If you bow down to Christ instead of idols, you'll walk with Christ
21. If we can't submit ourselves to God, we can't become like Him
22. Don't be Gomer and break your covenants
23. Light and truth come from God, light can't be hidden

etc etc...I took so many notes. I'm a seminary nerd/prep haha
I will miss Brother R. very much!