CHARACTER BUILDING CURRICULUM

During the harrowing and sometimes despondent final days of struggling toward the defense of my Dissertation and oral exams which preceded the bestowal of my Doctorate degree, I had an occasion to counsel with a dear friend who had passed though those fiery pits and dens a few years prior.

I queried him on the wisdom or lack thereof, of a person who would deliberately put themselves through such an ordeal, especially in light of all the studies which had been done that overwhelmingly indicated the modest retention rate remaining in a punished mind which had so laboriously languished over memorizing material, after only a short period of time had elapsed.

What, if any, was to be the long-lasting good which would be birthed by having gone through this laborious pain and persistent ordeal?

Didn't we all know that the hard bound volume which once having been conceived and carried forth to its full term and finally seen the light of day, was destined to join the other dust collectors on the endless shelves of the massive library?

(Yes, mothers I do realize that my pains in no way came close to those which attend the actual birthing of a child, but for some reason this is the analogy which seemed fitting as I was writing this Thought.)

Likewise, during that era we had no idea of the momentary shelf life that the evolving E books would bring about. Hardbound books would come to have nary a scant ‘15 minutes’ to collect sunlight carried specks of dust.

As proof that this conversation with my friend was one of those very impactful teaching moments in my life, I can unreservedly report I have retained his response and it has been recalled during many lesser trials of my life.

His feeling was that even with the dwindling retention of the names, dates and ideas, I would always remember that I had been able to jump all the hurdles, go over all the obstacles and negotiate all the tests and had successfully finished the race. This would be one of those self-victories which I would always be able to know I had accomplished. It would soon come to pass, that the pains would be little remembered and scars would be mostly unnoticeable, but I would always retain the knowledge of having surmounted a monumental task.

This special teaching moment has often vividly played on my consciousness as I studied and taught about:

Adam and Eve leaving Paradise and making their way in a harsh and unknown environment providing a way for Heavenly Fathers children to come to mortality

Noah building an ark on dry land in order to become a physical savior

Abraham raising the sacrificial knife over his son Isaac on his way to becoming the father of nations

Moses ascending Mt. Sinai and descending as the prophet of the Lord’s Law

David slaying Goliath on his way to becoming Israel’s most revered king

Esther paying the ultimate price of beauty for the survival of her people

Joan of Arc passing her test of fire so that a better nation could rise from the ashes

Washington crossing the Delaware as a new nation was being born

Joseph Smith suffering persecution so that gospel restoration could take place

Lincoln moving from a log cabin to the White House

Gandhi suffering the pangs of starvation so that his people could be fed from the bounties of freedom

Rosa Parks moving to the front of a bus so that a people could move forward

The list of those who have overcome in order to bring advancement and societal change goes on endlessly. I suspect if we truly understood the process of building great character in any individual, the overcoming of great obstacles would probably rank high in the curriculum of life’s secrets to success.

There are few exceptions to the rule, as we examine the lives of the history of mankind, that meaningful changes are brought about by those who became notable because they braved the hurdles of adversity and made life better for many as they grew and became greater themselves through self-victories.

For me the ultimate example will always be:

We behold a cross and worship the Savior of the world.

Jesus the Christ who stated, “suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed from every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.” (Doctrine and Covenants 19: 18, 19)

Through His mission and Atonement He not only became the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind, but He took upon Himself the characteristics, attributes and perfections of His Father and rose to stand by His Father’s side.

If it is by overcoming great challenges we develop greater character and better serve one another, perhaps the world as well as ourselves would be better served if we stopped ignoring and skirting the difficulties in our lives and sought with greater determination to go forth victoriously.