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A review by bethgiven
Through His Eyes by Virginia H. Pearce
5.0
This was a short book, but it was very impactful! I really enjoyed it.
Just as Marie Kondo would tell you to take out everything from a closet and put back only what belongs there, Virginia Pearce advocates taking an inventory of the "truths" we tell ourselves -- our thoughts that go through our head about ourselves -- and decide what's worth keeping. Some of these are Truths (e.g., I am a child of a Heavenly Father who loves me). Some are truths (e.g., if I work hard, I will be successful). And some are not-at-all true (e.g., I'll never be good enough). We need to weed out the not-at-all true stuff we tell ourselves ... and we must make sure we're anchored to Truths and not just truths! We also need to make sure our knowledge of Truth is so strong that it can withstand the adversity that will come our way, much like we need to exercise our core muscles for overall fitness.
I read a different book about positive self-talk last year, but this one resonated with me much better. I think Sister Pearce is a really talented writer!
A few quotes I liked:
"Great joy can come as we identify and discard the beliefs we have been carrying that are not true and do not serve us well."
"Consider praying about things that you may not have prayed about before. Pray about a belief that is causing you pain. Ask Him if it is true. Trust Him. 'Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie' (Ether 3:12)."
"Think of prayer as a fundamental exercise we use to build core spiritual strength. Like exercise for our bodies, it has to be consistent—every single day—to build strength."
"Truth seems to simply seep into our bones as we read the scriptures. It’s like the repeated dipping of homemade candles in hot wax. The accumulation is almost imperceptible, each layer of wax is so thin, but as you do it over and over and over, a candle grows beneath your very eyes. So it is with Truth. Remember, again, we are looking for experiences—experiences with the Holy Ghost. And the Spirit is simply in those pages."
"That settled, good feeling we have when we pick up our scriptures and spend time in them is actually the presence of the Spirit. The scriptures are one of the surefire places we go to have experiences with the Savior and His teachings."
"Truth and righteousness are two words that are often seen together in the scriptures. To me, Truth refers to what inhabits our Belief Box and righteousness is our behavior that grows out of truth—our covenant-keeping discipleship."
"The temple is a place of revelation. One of the things we know is that Satan and his lies are barred from the house of the Lord. It is a place where we literally shut out the world, along with its half-truths and lies. If they come in, it is because we have brought them with us. So, check them at the door of the temple and let the Lord know that you have come to learn and understand His Truths. And remember that the Lord likes to do His own teaching in His house."
"The sacrament is all about remembering. Remember is a holy word because it points us to God’s rescuing hand. It helps us emphasize Truth and it starves lies and half-truths. Those few minutes we spend every week thinking about the Savior will shape how we interpret the data coming into our Belief Box."
"Overlearn new thoughts, especially when modifying long-held habits of thinking. Say the correct belief 500 times. This may sound trivial, but it is perhaps one of the most simple and powerful tools we have. 'Declare the things which ye have heard, and verily believe, and know to be true. Behold, this is the will of him who hath called you, your Redeemer, even Jesus Christ' (D&C 80:4–5)."
"Keep it small. Keep it simple. Give it time. An exercise program such as yoga is a slow process. It is slow by design. But, in order to secure the gains and add to them, you have to keep it up. And guess what, the more you do it, the more your desire to do it grows. It is the same with building core spiritual muscles. You may have a period of intense growth—perhaps some adversity that drives you to your knees and calls forth the blessings of heaven. But to secure those gains, we must continue to invite the Holy Ghost into our lives—daily."
"Time and perseverance are necessary companions to faith, prayer, scripture reading, hearkening to the words of living prophets, temple worship, pondering, remembering, speaking truth out loud, and listening and responding to truth."
"What is it like to live our lives out of truth, rather than out of distorted truth or lies? The first thing we will notice is a difference in our emotions. And after that, with no difficulty at all, there will be a change in our behavior; we will be able to do things that would not have been possible before."
"We may not be completely successful in throwing away erroneous beliefs gained during childhood. But the experiences that created them can be consecrated for the welfare of our souls as we turn to the Savior and His atoning sacrifice. They will no longer hold our emotions hostage; they can actually lead us to compassion and understanding."
"When we fill our minds and hearts with Truth we will see everything and everyone differently, including ourselves. We will see clearly. We will see through His eyes."
Just as Marie Kondo would tell you to take out everything from a closet and put back only what belongs there, Virginia Pearce advocates taking an inventory of the "truths" we tell ourselves -- our thoughts that go through our head about ourselves -- and decide what's worth keeping. Some of these are Truths (e.g., I am a child of a Heavenly Father who loves me). Some are truths (e.g., if I work hard, I will be successful). And some are not-at-all true (e.g., I'll never be good enough). We need to weed out the not-at-all true stuff we tell ourselves ... and we must make sure we're anchored to Truths and not just truths! We also need to make sure our knowledge of Truth is so strong that it can withstand the adversity that will come our way, much like we need to exercise our core muscles for overall fitness.
I read a different book about positive self-talk last year, but this one resonated with me much better. I think Sister Pearce is a really talented writer!
A few quotes I liked:
"Great joy can come as we identify and discard the beliefs we have been carrying that are not true and do not serve us well."
"Consider praying about things that you may not have prayed about before. Pray about a belief that is causing you pain. Ask Him if it is true. Trust Him. 'Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie' (Ether 3:12)."
"Think of prayer as a fundamental exercise we use to build core spiritual strength. Like exercise for our bodies, it has to be consistent—every single day—to build strength."
"Truth seems to simply seep into our bones as we read the scriptures. It’s like the repeated dipping of homemade candles in hot wax. The accumulation is almost imperceptible, each layer of wax is so thin, but as you do it over and over and over, a candle grows beneath your very eyes. So it is with Truth. Remember, again, we are looking for experiences—experiences with the Holy Ghost. And the Spirit is simply in those pages."
"That settled, good feeling we have when we pick up our scriptures and spend time in them is actually the presence of the Spirit. The scriptures are one of the surefire places we go to have experiences with the Savior and His teachings."
"Truth and righteousness are two words that are often seen together in the scriptures. To me, Truth refers to what inhabits our Belief Box and righteousness is our behavior that grows out of truth—our covenant-keeping discipleship."
"The temple is a place of revelation. One of the things we know is that Satan and his lies are barred from the house of the Lord. It is a place where we literally shut out the world, along with its half-truths and lies. If they come in, it is because we have brought them with us. So, check them at the door of the temple and let the Lord know that you have come to learn and understand His Truths. And remember that the Lord likes to do His own teaching in His house."
"The sacrament is all about remembering. Remember is a holy word because it points us to God’s rescuing hand. It helps us emphasize Truth and it starves lies and half-truths. Those few minutes we spend every week thinking about the Savior will shape how we interpret the data coming into our Belief Box."
"Overlearn new thoughts, especially when modifying long-held habits of thinking. Say the correct belief 500 times. This may sound trivial, but it is perhaps one of the most simple and powerful tools we have. 'Declare the things which ye have heard, and verily believe, and know to be true. Behold, this is the will of him who hath called you, your Redeemer, even Jesus Christ' (D&C 80:4–5)."
"Keep it small. Keep it simple. Give it time. An exercise program such as yoga is a slow process. It is slow by design. But, in order to secure the gains and add to them, you have to keep it up. And guess what, the more you do it, the more your desire to do it grows. It is the same with building core spiritual muscles. You may have a period of intense growth—perhaps some adversity that drives you to your knees and calls forth the blessings of heaven. But to secure those gains, we must continue to invite the Holy Ghost into our lives—daily."
"Time and perseverance are necessary companions to faith, prayer, scripture reading, hearkening to the words of living prophets, temple worship, pondering, remembering, speaking truth out loud, and listening and responding to truth."
"What is it like to live our lives out of truth, rather than out of distorted truth or lies? The first thing we will notice is a difference in our emotions. And after that, with no difficulty at all, there will be a change in our behavior; we will be able to do things that would not have been possible before."
"We may not be completely successful in throwing away erroneous beliefs gained during childhood. But the experiences that created them can be consecrated for the welfare of our souls as we turn to the Savior and His atoning sacrifice. They will no longer hold our emotions hostage; they can actually lead us to compassion and understanding."
"When we fill our minds and hearts with Truth we will see everything and everyone differently, including ourselves. We will see clearly. We will see through His eyes."