The Gospel Basics

I went out to dinner w/ the Sisters today, then taught a lesson at the Institute. This is much better than going to Institute in my opinion b/c Institute covers hefty materials and in depth scripture that I learned thoroughly in my religion classes at BYU, however Lincoln Nebraska's University Ward Institute is nowhere near as thorough. This leads to my very well researched and memorized "BYU answers" getting shot down as thinking past the mark. I'm told that "yes, that's right, but you're thinking a little too far". Whatever, that answer is backed by three general conference talks. Anyway, I've come to realize that my brain is now full of the in depth BYU answers, that aren't bad, but I'm starting to run past the basics on my way to answers. Teaching with the Sisters is great because they teach so basically that I'm forced to think about it that way. We went over the basic Gospel of Jesus Christ tonight and it was kind of fun to actually think of it step by step instead of just spewing what I've been forced to memorize for some test or other. I don't disparage BYU religion courses, they're fantastic, and I don't disparage Institute classes in general, I'm just learning that they aren't equivalent and that in the end a good discussion with the Sisters is worth a whole lot. I can't forget how to analyze and apply the basics in my quest to get a good test score.

Glossary:
Institute (of Religion): A building or, religion courses offered during the week to mostly college age kids (for free), in place of a religion classes one would take for actual credit if they were to go to a Church school (like me)
Sisters: the female missionaries that devote 18 months to teaching and converting people to the Gospel.
General Conference: bi-annual worldwide conference broadcast from Salt Lake City to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints where general authorities give talks about churchy issues.