Assess Your Learning 8

The following account was shared by Elder Michael A. Dunn of the Seventy.

10:1

For more than a century, the national bicycle racing teams of Great Britain had been the laughingstock of the cycling world. …

In 2003, Sir Dave Brailsford was hired. Unlike previous coaches who attempted dramatic, overnight turnarounds, Sir Brailsford instead committed to a strategy he referred to as “the aggregation of marginal gains.” This entailed implementing small improvements in everything. …

… Said Brailsford, “The whole principle came from the idea that if you broke down everything you could think of that goes into riding a bike, and then improved it by 1 percent, you will get a significant increase when you put them all together.” (“One Percent Better,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 106)

How might this principle apply to our spiritual progress as we work to become better disciples of Jesus Christ?

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Small, steady, incremental spiritual improvements are the steps the Lord would have us take. Preparing to walk guiltless before God is one of the primary purposes of mortality and the pursuit of a lifetime; it does not result from sporadic spurts of intense spiritual activity. (“Clean Hands and a Pure Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 82)

The purpose of Assess Your Learning lessons, like this one, is for you to pause and invite the Holy Ghost to help you recognize how you are learning and growing. Recognizing the voice of the Spirit is not easy and requires time and practice.

Think about what you learned recently in your study of the Old Testament. You might review scriptures you have read and thoughts you have recorded in your notebook. Record your answers to one or more of the following questions:

• What efforts have you made recently to receive and recognize impressions from the Holy Ghost?

• What are some spiritual impressions you have received from the Holy Ghost recently? How have you acted on them?

• What are some small spiritual improvements that you have made in your discipleship of Jesus Christ?

• What are some areas where you might still need to make small spiritual improvements?

Review the following study options. Complete one or more.

Option A

What are some of the titles and roles of Jesus Christ?

As part of “Lesson 113: Introduction to Isaiah,” you may have created a diagram about titles and roles of Jesus Christ. Review the one you created or create something similar to the diagram above in either your notebook or document. Write or type “Jesus Christ” in the center circle. Read Isaiah 7:14; 9:6–7, and record the titles and roles of Jesus Christ that you discover. You may have found or learned about other titles or roles of Jesus Christ recently. Add these to your diagram.

Respond to two or more of the following questions in your notebook:

• Since learning about these titles or roles, how has thinking about Jesus in this way influenced you?

• What circumstances in your life could benefit from remembering one of these titles of Jesus Christ?

• What might you do today because you know this about Jesus Christ?

Option B

How can the Atonement of Jesus Christ help me overcome sin?

As part of “Lesson 114: Isaiah 1,” you may have seen the above images. Ponder again what the imagery in Isaiah 1:18 teaches you about repentance. Review Isaiah 1:18 as a reminder.

Create a note next to Isaiah 1:18 with the following truth: If we sincerely repent, Jesus Christ will cleanse us from our sins.

Respond to the following activity in your notebook:

Imagine that you have a friend who feels beyond the Lord’s forgiveness. Write a letter to that friend, sharing what you have learned or felt about the Savior and repentance. Be sure to use scriptures that you have studied recently. Some examples could include Isaiah 1:18; Isaiah 53:3–5; and Jeremiah 3:12–15.

Lesson Purpose: To help you reflect on the goals you have set and the growth you have experienced during your recent study of the Old Testament.

Share one of the following with your teacher:

• Your responses to the questions about the roles and titles of Jesus Christ.

• The letter you wrote to your friend about what you have learned or felt about the Savior and repentance.