Learning Beyond the Textbook

I'm currently taking my final class for my undergraduate degree. It's a Student Development class where I am required to analyze and synthesize all the classes I've taken over the many years that I've been an undergraduate student. Fortunately, my current program required that I take notes about the things I learned from each of my classes while I've been in the program. As I was going through my notes, I remembered how the following experience changed my attitude and increased my tolerance. I'm grateful for the things I've learned over the years. I'm also grateful I'm almost done with my formal education.

I was in the middle of a year-long Independent Study course on usage. At the time, we had a gospel doctrine teacher in our ward, a bull rider from Carbon County, Utah, who didn't always use standard usage. At first, the way he spoke slightly bothered me. I was paying close attention to such things because of my class. One Sunday he said, "The Lord teaches in repetition, don't he?" Then I realized, it didn't matter how he spoke because of the Spirit that he carried with him. His words were powerful. It became easier for me to forgive and overlook his errors and to enjoy his lessons.

Other people were bothered by the words he used. One Sunday during his lesson about missionary work, in front of the Relief Society room full of people, a retired math teacher raised his hand and said, "You ain't gonna learn nobody nothin' 'till you learn good English." I was appalled. Immediately and humbly, our teacher replied, "You can if you teach by the Spirit." He continued the lesson with no further comment. I was very impressed by his response.

Some people are bothered by the mistakes of others. My usage class helped me decide there are no "right" or "wrong" ways of communicating, just different ways. Language is fluid and variable. The people we come into contact with influence the way we speak. Some people are preservationists of language. I respect them. I admire people who are capable of retaining large vocabularies and speaking correctly all the time. It is important to learn the standard. If you know the standard it makes it easier to communicate with and be respected by the educated world. I am not always careful with my own speech and writing. Perfection is less important to me than the message.