And thus the language of Nephi began to be taught among all the people of the Lamanites.
Over 400 years after Lehi's family left Jerusalem, there was a king of the Lamanites named Laman. He was not a righteous man, but he did realize the important of language. Therefore he appointed teachers so that the Lamanites "should keep their record, and that they might write one to another" (Mosiah 24:6).
Apparently, over the course of time since separating themselves from the Nephites, the Lamanites had not bothered to teach their children how to read or write. Their communication with each other was therefore limited. Their knowledge of written language was so poor, they probably could not have even communicated through texting (which is a language your parents may never understand)!
While it would be useless for me to try to make you give up texting as a language, I would encourage to learn how to use the English language properly. One of the best ways for learning how to write is by reading a variety of books. The Lord counseled, "seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom" (D&C 88:118). As you read, you learn to associate how words are arranged for proper grammar. Take the time to look up words you do not know. When writing reports for school, use spell check. However, do not become over-reliant on any spell check program. The talent of learning to spell for yourself will be important at any job you will have in the future - your boss will be impressed. You would probably be amazed by the number of college graduates that are horrible spellers. Your ability to spell will put your resume at the top of the list when it comes to applying for jobs in the future.
President Gordon B. Hinckley taught, "there can be no doubt, none whatever, that education pays. Do not short-circuit your lives." Take the time to learn the nuances of the language you speak (also, take the time to learn what the term "nuance" means). Do not take the easy way out and joke about your poor spelling or writing skills. Instead, work to improve these skills. Regardless of your employment aspirations, you will do written work for your boss. Poor spelling and the inability to communicate effectively through writing can mean the difference between a promotion and remaining in the same job for years to come.
Not only is writing an important skill to master, but also the skill of public speaking. Nephi tells us he was not "mighty in writing, like unto speaking" (2 Nephi 33:1). You may not feel you are a great speaker. I often feel the opposite way of Nephi, that my writing ability is better than my speaking. You may think I am not very good at either!
One of the best ways to improve your speaking skills is to focus on the positive attributes of your own speaking and build on that. Pay attention to other speakers you meet at school, church, or in the community. What do they do well? Can you use it in your own talks?
Scott Adams, author of Dilbert, once attended a Dale Carnegie Public Speaking course. A portion of his experience is shared below. You can find the full text here and here.
The Dale Carnegie approach to teaching public speaking is to compliment the speaker for whatever he or she does well, and never mention any flaws....The first day was grim. One woman stood frozen in front of the group, unable to generate an intelligible word. Beads of sweat literally dripped off her chin. It was horrible to watch. She choked out a few words and returned to her seat, defeated. Our instructor came to the front of the room and said, "Wow. That was really brave."And it was. We all knew it was true. This woman had put her head in the lion’s mouth. Suddenly we all realized we had witnessed something important. We applauded. And it changed her. Each week, she managed a little bit more. And each week the instructor and the class recognized her achievement. By the end of the course, everyone in the class was an exceptional speaker, and we all looked forward to our few minutes in front of the class. It was like witnessing a frickin' miracle.
If you have ever had to speak, whether in school or at church, odds are you have picked up on everything you have done wrong. You probably feel as if you have failed at the end of speaking. Thus, Dale Carnegie's method is for your classmates to focus on what you do well. You already know what you have done wrong - there is no sense in hearing it again. However, when you hear what you have done well, it provides you with a base on which to build - much like the woman in the story who succeeded in overcoming her fear of speaking.
One way of overcoming your fear of speaking is to be well prepared on the topic you are speaking. As the Lord says, "if ye are prepared ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30). That is not to say you should memorize all that you plan to say, but that you should be well-versed in your topic. Thus, when the Lord counsels you to "take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak" (Mark 13:11), it is not to say you should not study your topic, but that you should not have a memorized speech. Instead, you should understand His words so well that they are written upon your heart (see 2 Corinthians 3:2-3) and you can speak about them without a script.
When you are speaking in school or in church, you can benefit from writing down general notes to remind you of things to say. Having such notes enables you to stay on topic (if you are prone to wander) while able being able to be prompted by the Spirit (which you may be tempted to ignore if you are constrained by a script).
Some additional helps in preparing a talk for church can be found here: "The Seven Deadly Sins of Sacrament Meeting Talks" by Christian A. Johnson - OR - "Ten Tips for Terrific Talks" from the "Prepare a Talk" section at the official LDS Church website.
In addition to knowing how to use language, be sure to use clean language. You may think you will impress your friends by knowing bad words are being able to share a lot of dirty jokes. However, regardless of whether or not they laugh, you will not have gained their respect. I used to have the following quote hanging in my office: “Profanity is the attempt of a lazy and feeble mind to express itself forcefully.” When someone uses profanity to support their argument, it shows that either the person or their argument is weak - probably both. There is never a good reason to swear. Think about it - can you think any situation where swearing would be the decent and proper thing to do? If you can, it is probably not a situation you should be involving yourself in to begin with. Again, there is never a good reason to swear.
Jesus taught, "that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man" (Matthew 15:11). In a general epistle to the entire Church issued by the First Presidency on April 8, 1887, a hundred years ago, they said concerning this problem, which evidently was serious then as it is now, "The habit ... , which some young people fall into, of using vulgarity and profanity ... is not only offensive to well-bred persons, but it is a gross sin in the sight of God, and should not exist among the children of the Latter-day Saints" (as quoted by President Gordon B. Hinckley).
Not only should you use clean language, but your words should be kind. The jokes you tell should not be intended to hurt others. You should not start, or pass on, gossip about someone with the intent to injure them.
If you have the habit of swearing or gossiping, how do you break it? The first step is making a decision to change. The next time you are tempted to use words you know to be wrong, or say things that are mean-spirited, simply stop. Keep your mouth shut or say what you have to say in a different way. As you practice such restraint, it will become easy. President Heber J. Grantoften quoted the following statement, which is sometimes attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do - not that the nature of the thing is changed, but that our power to do is increased."
As you put forth the effort to increase your language skills and to speak kind words to - and about - others, you will be blessed with increased happiness.
Goals for this week:
- If you swear or use other rude language - stop. It is a difficult habit to break, but it will reap benefits when it comes time for searching for jobs in the future.
- Join an improv comedy group, the debate team, or the drama club at your school (if there is one). Each of these programs can facilitate your learning to speak in public.
- Read a book that you have never read before.
- Pay attention to the speaker in your next church meeting (regardless of how boring he or she may be). Take notes of at least three things that person does well. Try to incorporate these skills when you speak in public.
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