The Power to Choose

In War and Peace, the characters all made choices that led them to where they were at the end of the story. Some made choices that brought them happiness and others didn’t. Just like these characters, we have the power to choose our own ending through our choices.

Natasha Rostov was asked for her hand in marriage several times. Once by her brother’s friend, Denisov, again by Prince Andry Bolkonsky to whom she was engaged for almost a year, she was asked to elope by Anatole, and finally she married Pierre. Each time she was asked for her hand, she had to make a choice. She chose to decline Denisov because of her young age. She accepted Prince Andry's offer, but then chose to break off their engagement and attempted to elope with Anatole who she had only known a few days. At this point in the story the choices she had made caused her to be unhappy. She regretted hurting Andry, and still loved him. Natasha and Prince Andry were reunited after Andry was wounded in a battle. She loved him and cared for him, but she wasn’t able to save him. After Prince Andry died, Natasha fell in love with, and married Pierre. Finally, with Pierre, she had four beautiful children. Natasha could have chosen to marry any of these four men. Her choices eventually brought her great happiness.

Pierre initially married Helene Kuragin, but he wasn’t happy. After being married a short time they separated. Pierre sought for purpose and meaning in his life. He joined the brotherhood of Freemasons and liberated his serfs as he attempted to find a greater purpose. It wasn’t until the end of War and Peace, after he had married Natasha, that he found meaning in his life and seemed truly happy.

Nikolay Rostov had a childhood romance with Sonya, his cousin, but ultimately chose to marry Marya Bolkonsky instead. Because of his choice he was able to save his family from financial ruin. He could have been just as happy married to Sonya, but his family would have become bankrupt.

Just like these characters from War and Peace, my life has been shaped by the choices that I have made. I had originally planned to move on-campus at George Wythe last fall. Partly because of finances I chose to stay at home. Because of that choice I have had friends, relationships, and experiences that I wouldn’t have had if I had left. There are people who I may not have met. I would have an entirely different set of experiences if I had left, and in a way, I would be a different person. I am very thankful for the experiences I have had, and the person that I have become this past year.

Our choices don't only affect ourselves, but can influence the generations that follow. When we make a choice a chain reaction begins. That chain can continue to affect our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. We must be mindful when we make decisions because they will affect those who come after us.

Originally Pierre Bezuhov from War and Peace was an illegitimate son. On his deathbed his father named Pierre as his heir. If he had died before doing this Pierre would have led a very different life. He probably wouldn't have married Helene, whose family encouraged their marriage because of Pierre's money. All of the events that followed after Pierre's marriage wouldn't have happened. Pierre's life would have followed a different path if he had not been named his father's heir.

Pierre's life would have also been different if he had been born a legitimate son. If his parents had been married he would have had both of them to love and guide him through his life. He wouldn't have been raised abroad by tutors, but at home by those who loved him. The choice of his father affected Pierre, and also the generations that followed him.

We also are affected by the choices of our parents and those who have come before us. Nineteen years ago, when I was only two and a half weeks old, my dad got a phone call from a chiropractor who convinced him he should get checked for subluxation. Subluxation is when the bones in your spine are out of alignment. Subluxation distorts all the messages that travel down your spinal cord. Shortly after my dad saw this chiropractor my mom and I were also checked for subluxation. Because of my dad's choice to visit this chiropractor, he is a chiropractor today. He has touched thousands of lives since he has been in practice. I have worked in his office for five years now. I have seen many miracles take place: people who don’t need to use canes to walk anymore, many people have gotten off of medications and women who have been able to become pregnant after years of seeing infertility experts without success. Dr. BJ Palmer, the founder of chiropractic said, "We never know how far reaching something we may think, say, or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow." My dad's decision has greatly influenced my life and the lives of many others.

Love can help to bring happiness. When we are in an environment that is loving and caring we are going to be happier. We can see in War and Peace that when the characters had a loving home life they were happiest and lead the most productive and fulfilling lives. When we are happy we are most productive, and one thing that brings us happiness is knowing that we are loved.

In War and Peace we can see that people are happiest in times of peace. They were happiest when they could be with their families, away from the horrors and bloodshed of war. During these times of peace the male characters worked on their lands, improving them. This peace brought them much more happiness than war did.

We can see in our own lives that when there is peace in our homes there is more love and happiness. Contention does not bring love into our homes; it destroys love and peace. The times in my family when there is no contention are the times when we, as a family, are happiest. Peace brings us much more happiness than contention ever will.

All of the characters in War and Peace made different choices, which gave them all different endings. Some of their choices cause them heartache, while others brought joy. We can choose to make decisions that will bring peace, love and happiness, or we can choose contention and misery. We can choose the path of our own lives, like the characters in War and Peace. We can choose love, peace, and happiness.

Learning From History

Knowing history helps us to learn from mistakes and successes of the past. If we know the mistakes that others have made we can avoid making similar mistakes. If we know what has been successful in the past we can more easily be successful. I often ask my friends or family for advice or help, we can get that same help by studying what has happened before. If we know history we can avoid repeating mistakes made by past generations and can repeat their successes.

Henry IV, by Shakespeare, tells the story of Prince Harry and how he became King Henry V. Before he became king he spent much of his time drinking and having fun with his friends, including Sir John Falstaff. He was not serious or responsible and was immature. When his father, King Henry IV, died he became the new King of England. After Prince Harry was crowned King, Sir John Falstaff approached him expecting to receive honors and a prestigious position because of his friends rise in status. He was very surprised when Henry V didn’t receive him. When Henry V became King he stopped associating with many of his old friends because those friendships were not appropriate for his new status.

From Henry IV we can learn to be careful in choosing our friends. Like King Henry V, we don’t want to be associated with people whose behavior is unsavory. Others automatically assume that we do what our friends do, and we become guilty by association. When my dad was in high-school he took a shop class that was held in a building a little ways away from the main school buildings. Instead of walking, he often drove to and from the class with some of his friends. His friends didn’t have the same standards that he did, some of them smoked. In his class after shop, a girl he knew from church sat in front of him. One day his jacket smelled like the smoke from his friend’s cigarettes. She smelled it on him and turned around with a very disgusted look on her face. He was very embarrassed that she thought he had been smoking, when he hadn’t. From then on he didn’t ride to shop with those friends because he didn’t want others to think he did things that were wrong because of his association with them. If we are careful to choose friends that have similar standards and who are a support and a strength to us we will be happier than if we choose friends whose standards do not match our own.

Henry V, by Shakespeare, continues the story of King Henry V as he tries to cement his authority and status as King. In Henry V, King Henry marries a French Princess, who he barely knows, after a war with her people. I think that King Henry was trying to prove to the world that he was a good leader, and that he deserved to be king.

We shouldn’t base our self-worth on the opinions of others, like Henry V, but should look for it in ourselves. If we base our self-worth on the capricious opinions of others, we will be unhappy. We need to base our confidence, and self-worth on our own opinion of ourselves. We control our opinion about ourselves, but we cannot control others opinions. We shouldn’t let someone else control our happiness like that. We have the power to choose what we let influence us; if we only let our own opinions affect us we will be happier.

In Richard III, also by Shakespeare, Richard III attains the crown by malicious means. He sought for the throne, not with the intent to serve others and do good, but for power and status. Richard III had many people killed, including his own brother and nephews, so that he could be King. Because he attained the throne in such an evil way he didn’t rule for long and was killed.

From Richard III we learn that we shouldn’t seek for power. The best leaders are those who didn’t seek for their position, but graciously accepted it when it was offered only because they wanted to serve their fellow men. If we build our leadership position on dishonesty like Richard III did, it will easily crumble beneath us. If we lead because we love those we serve, they will love, be loyal, and support us. We should use the leadership opportunities that are offered to us to serve others, but we should never seek for power.

If we learn from these past Kings, Henry V and Richard III, we will be happier and more successful. We don’t need to make the same mistakes that they have. We can be careful in choosing our friends, find our own self-worth, and not seek for power. If we learn from their experience it will save us much heartache and discomfort. As we learn, and study, history we can use our knowledge to our advantage to be happier and better people.

A Mighty Change of Heart

I believe that people can change and become more righteous and Christ-like. All of us are far from being perfect. We all give away to temptation sometimes, but we shouldn’t be condemned for this. We can learn from our mistakes, choose to make better decisions, and turn our lives around. One of the purposes of our earthly life is for us to gain these experiences. As Ms. Frizzle, the school teacher from one of my favorite childhood TV shows, says, “Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!” One of the best ways for us to learn and improve ourselves is through our mistakes. As long as we use our mistakes as stepping stones, and not stumbling blocks, we can become more righteous and Christ-like people.

A good example of this transformation is the character Jean Valjean from Les Miserables. After being in prison 19 years, Jean Valjean was released and chose to start a new life by serving many people. When he was first released he did the only thing he knew to do to attempt to improve his situation. He stole silverware from the kind Bishop who had sheltered and fed him. When Jean Valjean was caught and brought back to the Bishop, the Bishop told the authorities that he had given Jean Valjean the silverware as a gift and then gave him his silver candlesticks also. He asked Jean Valjean to accept these gifts and use them to start a new, fresh life by not stealing anymore. Jean Valjean made that promise, but shortly after he stole some money from a little boy. He was disappointed in himself for breaking his promise to the bishop so shortly after making it, but he overcame his mistake, learned from it, and moved forward making better choices. It took time for him to change his habits, but he did. He improved the living conditions of an entire town by creating jobs in his factory and serving as mayor. He cared for Fauntine, a destitute woman, and loved her until she died. He cared for her daughter, Cossette, as his own child. Every day he left the house with his purse full but it was always empty when he returned. He always gave to others and served them even when he appeared to be poorer than they were.

Alma and the Sons of Mosiah, characters in the Book of Mormon, had a mighty change of heart, stopping their wicked ways to serve the Lord. They had been persecuting those who believed in God. An Angel appeared to them and told them that they needed to repent. Alma was unconscious for 3 days following the Angel’s appearance. While he was unconscious he had a vision of Christ and repented of his sins. After that, Alma and the Sons of Mosiah stopped persecuting others and served them instead. The Sons of Mosiah spent fourteen years in the enemy Lamanite nation, serving the people and teaching them of God. Through God they became different and better people.

One of my Great Uncles has had a transformation similar to Jean Valjean, Alma and the Sons of Mosiah. My Uncle went to prison for theft and drug abuse. He had never done what was right out of a personal commitment and belief, but because it was what his family expected of him. When temptations came, he succumbed to them. It wasn’t until he hit the very bottom that he developed a personal relationship with God and repented. Since he has been out of prison he has started going to school to become a rehabilitation counselor. He volunteers at the jail and with the LDS Church’s addiction recovery program. He has turned his stumbling blocks, his mistakes, into true stepping stones. He is helping those who are making the same mistakes that he once did, to overcome them.

It is because of our experiences that we become the people that we are. We all choose how we respond to those experiences. We can use them as an excuse to hurt others or we can use them to make ourselves better. It is always our choice how we respond. I hope that we will all take control of our own lives and become the best that we can be.

Carnal Nature, Temptation and Love

As human beings we have many weaknesses and needs. One weakness is our carnal nature, or the natural man. We must not succumb to the wickedness and violence of our carnal nature but must withstand all temptations in order to become better people. We also need love. It is as vital to the happiness of our lives as our breath is to our actually being alive. Without love our lives our meaningless. If we are aware of our weaknesses and needs we are better able to find happiness and meaning in our lives.

We must put off the carnal nature of man or we will succumb to wickedness and violence. In Lord of the Flies the boys succumbed to their base natures. Without the influence of a mentor to show them what was right and wrong they became violent. The boys had no control over the way they acted after they gave up acting civilized. This violence and chaos that was created lead to the death of Simon and Piggy. Ralph ran through the forest being pursued by boys who used to be his friends and comrades. There was disorder and no one to keep track of the little ones. If we succumb to our carnal natures there will be violence and chaos.

We need to withstand temptation when it comes. When Macbeth met the three witches they told him that he would become the king. When several of their other predictions came true Macbeth believed that he would and should become the king. He told his wife and they began plotting to murder the King. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth didn’t withstand the temptation for power. Because they received the power in a way that wasn’t righteous they began to feel guilty for the evil that they had done. Lady Macbeth haunted the halls moaning “Out damned spot, out!” Later in the play they are punished for their wickedness. The power was taken from them and they died. We can learn from Macbeth that we need to withstand temptations to do anything that isn’t right, even if we think it will give us power or some other desirable reward.

Love is essential to a happy life. There is nothing that can fill its space in our soul. In A Brave New World John loved his mother. Even when she was fat, old and wrinkly he still loved her. He visited her when she was on her deathbed, and he mourned her passing. This was unusual behavior in the World States. No children had parents; no parental figure to attach themselves to. They didn’t find a single partner and spouse to love always. They were morally loose, sleeping with different people every night. The people were very unhappy and heavily depended on Soma, a drug that made them feel good and forget their worries and unhappiness. They used Soma to fill the empty space in their bosoms that love is meant to fill. In 1984 when Winston was having an affair with Julia he felt stronger, happier, and his varicose ulcer began to heal. Feeling love created a positive change in him. These examples show how vital love is to a happy life. Humans were not made to live alone, but with family. We depend on love and need to feel like we are needed by another. Many older couples who genuinely love each other will pass on soon after each other. Their love is so great that when one companion passes on the other doesn’t have a purpose to live. Love is vital to life, and will bring joy and pleasure to us.

We have the ability to overcome our weaknesses but we will never be able to overcome our need for love. We can overcome our carnal natures by making righteous choices. We can overcome temptation by not listening to our temptations. We will always need love to be happy and to live a fulfilling life. If we overcome our weaknesses and love and serve others we will be happier human beings.

Examples in the Old Testament

There are many examples of righteous people in the Old Testament. Daniel continued to pray even when it was made illegal, with a death punishment attached. David fought Goliath to protect his country. Samuel listened to the Lord. There are many people in the Old Testament who loved the Lord, obeyed him and served him, but Esther, Ruth, and Job are a few of my favorites.

Esther is a great example of faith and courage. She was married to the King, and was a Jew. When Haman had the king make a law that the Jews were to be put to death because of her position she was able to bless her entire nation. No one was allowed to present themselves before the King, not even the King’s own wife, with a penalty of death. She fasted and prayed and then presented herself to the King. Because of her faith she was spared by the King and invited him to a banquet. At that banquet she told the King that her people were being persecuted. This took much courage; he didn’t know that she was a Jew. The King protected the Jews and killed Haman because he had tried to harm them. Because of Esther’s faith and courage not only her life but the lives of her people were spared.

Ruth is a wonderful example of service and devotion. When Naomi went home Ruth was not required to go with her. Naomi encouraged Ruth to return to her own family, but Ruth loved her mother in law and wouldn’t abandon her. She went with Naomi and cared for her. For food she gleaned the fields of Boaz. He was very impressed with her service and devotion to her mother in law and made her able to glean from the best parts of the field. Because Boaz cared for Ruth and respected her he married her. He took care of her needs and also helped Naomi. Through Ruth and Boaz’s lineage descended Jesse, David, and Christ. Because of Ruth’s service and devotion to her mother in law she was blessed to have her temporal needs taken care of, and for a great posterity to descend from her.

Job is one of the most well know examples of integrity and faith. Job was very blessed, he had many riches, seven sons and three daughters. Job’s faith was tested. All of his children died and he lost all of his earthly possessions. He didn’t curse God, but praised him. Job was tested further; he got boils all over his body. He still didn’t curse God. Even when his wife and his friends tempted him to give up on the Lord, he didn’t. He remained steadfast, and didn’t curse the Lord. My definition of integrity is doing what is right, no matter what; always remaining faithful. That is what Job did. Even though Job was sorely tested his faith in God never wavered.

We can learn many lessons from the stories in the Old Testament. We can learn faith and courage from Esther, service and devotion from Ruth and steadfastness and integrity from Job. If we emulate these great men and women we will be become better, more Christ-like, and will one day be able to return to our Father in Heaven.

The Joy in Discovery

The way science is taught in many schools does not encourage students to make their own discoveries. The science textbooks tell you how science works and give experiments to you for you to do, and then gives you the answer to the experiment. Many children don't find the joy of discovery in science instead seeing it as a chore, fact and terms to memorize.

When Pasteur, Harvey, Darwin, and Watson were forming their theories they had to make their own discoveries. There wasn’t a textbook that told them all of the answers; they had to find them themselves. They saw science differently than most students in high schools and colleges today. The created their own experiments, discussed their theories with others, and sought for the truth. Many students now just memorize the terms, do the experiments, and learn the theories of the scientist who have already come. When a student does a science fair project they often find the idea for their science project from a book. The average student doesn’t have to make their own discoveries like these great scientists did.

I recently read a wonderful analogy about math, and I believe the same concept can be applied to science. In this analogy a world was described where music was taught in the same way math is taught today. Drills and theory, but students were not able to listen to music until they had studied it for a long time, maybe not until after they had received their bachelors and were working on their masters. Students would never hear the music that the theory created. Math is that way now. We learn how to do many different functions and memorize equations, but we rarely find joy and make discoveries of our own. I believe that science is taught in a similar fashion. We are taught the theories of great scientists; memorize terms, equations, and the periodic table. We can’t find the joy of discovery in science if we just learn the discoveries of other men; we must make our own discoveries and find our own joy.

When I was little I didn’t have a science text book, my mom didn’t teach any “formal” science lessons. Whenever I had a question my mom would explain it to me. I still remember asking why I had blue eyes while my sister’s were brown. My mom sat down with me and drew punnett squares and explained it to me. I also remember my mom teaching me about natural selection, the solar system and the tectonic plates. I never had an official science lesson when I was elementary school aged, but I still learned science by asking questions when I was interested.

Science is more than just memorizing terms and learning others theories, it is making your own discoveries. We should be able to get just as excited about science as Crick, Watson, Darwin, and Pasteur. It should bring us the same joy that it brought them to make new discoveries. I hope that I will be able to instill this joy of discovery in my future children and in myself

Experience

Each choice that we make has a consequence, positive or negative. We don’t get to choose the consequence of our actions, but we do get to choose our actions. The choices that we make form us into the person that we become.

There are pivotal moments in our lives that help to move us to a different path or to recognize our purpose. There have been several times in my life that I have had an experience that has helped me to recognize that I have a purpose on this earth, and to know that there is someone who cares that is watching out for me. One afternoon when I was fourteen I was working at my dad’s chiropractic office. An elderly gentleman in a car in front of our office got the pedals mixed up. He drove his car into the office, pushing the base of the building in eighteen inches. His car came through the wall less than eight feet from where I was working. There was a pillar right in front of our office that had slowed the car down and prevented it from coming further into the office. If the car had been just a few inches to the left it wouldn’t have hit the pillar and I may have been injured or killed me. This experience helped me to recognize that I am important to my heavenly father and that I do have a purpose on this earth.

Knowing that God is watching out for me has encouraged me and given me comfort when I have been disappointed or depressed. If I didn’t have a purpose I’m sure that He wouldn’t have protected me and kept me around. Because I know that I have a great purpose to fulfill on this earth I have made different choices than I otherwise may have made. I have continually sought to improve myself, and to make myself the best that I can be.

I am at a point in my life now where I have little experience, but am making very important decisions that will determine the outcome of my life. Where to live? Who to have as friends? Where to work? What should I study? On-campus or off? Full-time or part? These are all questions that many other young single adults have looming over their heads. This time last year I decided that I wanted to move on-campus. I had picked out a house, gone shopping with my mom for all the items I would need living on my own, picked out a wonderful roommate and was very excited to leave home and move to Cedar City. About a month before the semester began I realized that I only had enough money to either have a place to live and food to eat, or to pay for tuition, but not both. I had been very excited and had looked forward to going on-campus, but instead I had to continue living at home with my eight siblings. Though I was disappointed staying home gave me several wonderful learning opportunities. I was able to be home when my baby sister learned to walk, and my baby brother learned to talk. I developed relationships with people that I otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do so and strengthened relationships I already had. I have had the opportunity to discover who I am and who I want to become while staying at home where I can receive the help and guidance of my family when I need it. I know that I still have many important decisions to make, and each decision will put me on a different path. Each path will give me different experiences and over the course of my lifetime will make me a different person. I know that with the Lord’s help I will be able to pick the best path that will make me the best person that I can be.

I am the woman I am today because of my experiences and the choices I have made. I have often been stretched and tried. The adversity that I have experienced has put me in a “refiner’s fire” and has helped to take away my impurities and imperfections. I still have a long way to go, but I know that as I continue to learn and grow from my choices and experiences that eventually I will be able to become the woman that God wants me to be.