A funny thing happens when flowers and lovely things appear – men stop talking.

I first encountered this in college, after an amazing intellectual discussion with some fellows. I proposed that we could continue the discussion the next day at my apartment.

But I made a mistake. Instead of ordering pizza and snacks, I made dinner. And I set a proper table. These men, who the day before had been full of incredible existential insights, became vapid social beings, sharing trivia and light anecdotes. It was a pleasant night, but I was disappointed.

I’m not sure I like the lack of discussion that has accompanied my prior Lenten Personal Progress posts, so while I will be continuing my pilgrimage, I will put up a weekly post, rather than a daily post. I’ll do this on Saturdays.

To jump to a particular day, click on one of the links below:
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Sat | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Go to Top

Long Term Projects

In order to get through all the value experiences in such a short time, I’m having you start a number of long-term efforts, which you will be doing simultaneously. As you see this list grow, you will realize why it would have been really great to simply work on one value experience a month over the period of four years. But you can do this, if you’re determined. A lot of these “habits” are habits you would need to have as a missionary or mature adult. I’ll bet you know women and men who already live lives of devotion like this, who are constantly striving to become more like the precious individual they know God sees in them. The long-term efforts you will be working on by the end of this week are:

• Review and keep your standards (Started Day 1)
• Pray morning and evening (Started Day 2)
• Continue your new habit related to personal integrity (Started Day 3)
• Begin a habit of regular scripture study and prayer (Starts Day 4)
• Work on the three standards you decided to improve upon (Starts Day 5)
• Record the quiet acts of service others perform (Starts Day 6)
• Read your patriarchal blessing or set an appointment to get a recommend for one (Assigned Day 7)
• Help plan meals, obtain/prepare food, and gather the family for mealtimes. (Starts Day 8)
• Increase your understanding of the atonement and plan to share your testimony. (Starts Day 10)
  Continue reading →

Need a project idea? Consider holding a Book of Mormon marathon – a sleepover where the young women get together and read through the entire Book of Mormon in roughly 24 hours. Not only would this complete your Virtue value project, but would make a great project for any of several other values if you participate significantly in planning the event, scheduling guests, preparing food/treats, etc.

Are there any great projects you’ve been involved in or seen accomplished by others? Leave a comment!

Day 3 (Friday)

Book of Mormon: Read 1 Nephi 14-17: Lehi finds the Liahona. Nephi is commanded to build a ship.

Start and complete Virtue 3: Read Alma 5 and make a list of things you can and will do to prepare to receive the blessings of Heavenly Father.

Begin Integrity 2: “Write in your journal the things you can do to improve your personal integrity and at least one new habit you want to develop.”

Remember to:

• Review and keep your standards (day 3 of 31)
• Pray morning and evening (day 2 of 21)
• Begin a new habit related to personal integrity (day 1 of 21)

Continue reading →

Yesterday Carrie asked if I could provide a list for the 46 day period, so I put together a spreadsheet that shows the readings, etc. I’ve arranged this so that the Values get addressed in clumps, as much as possible. Also, my family and I do a lot of performing and teaching, so I didn’t allocate a lot of advance preparation for some of those experiences. So do look ahead and make sure that you can schedule some of the events the experiences call for. Alternately, you may be able to use something you’ve already done.

1505 Personal Progress

On this second day of my ad hoc Lenten Personal Progress pilgrimage, let me explain how I’m moving forward in these initial days. Continue reading →

A few years ago I developed a plan for completing the Personal Progress value experiences in 46 days – the time if one were to start on Ash Wednesday and end on Easter Sunday, or if one were to start on Martinmas (11 Nov) and end on Boxing Day (Dec 26).

This is a rigorous schedule, and I’m challenging myself to complete this over the next 46 days. If I succeed, the value experiences will be complete by July 11 (the Sunday before my stake holds their Trek Youth Conference, in which I will be participating).

For those not familiar with Personal Progress, it is a program of study and experiences designed for young women aged 12-18. Upon successful completion, the young woman is awarded the Young Womanhood Recognition Award – a similar achievement to the Eagle Scout award.[ref]I originally earned the Young Womanhood Recognition Award in 1980, but the program has evolved significantly since that time.[/ref] The program may also be completed by women supporting a young woman, such as a mother, sister, or teacher. Continue reading →