MY comm write ups

Nathan Sardoni
Communications 150
Professor Embree
MWF 2:00- 3:00

Questions: What does each teach? Are there any that seem particularly significant to you? Do you have any overall impressions after having read & pondered them all?

1) Each of these scriptures gives a specific instance or way that the lord has shown his love for us by communicating his will. The Lord has many ways of communicating like through the words of others, by the holy ghost, and by his own voice. These scriptures teach us that the Lord will never abandon us and that he is always willing to talk.
2)I really like the scripture in 1 Corinthians 9. In my own life this method of divine communication has been the most prevalent one. It really strikes home when you know how much the Lord influences the people around us to help and comfort us. I have even been surprised by how I myself have helped others.
3)My overall impression after having read these scriptures is that the Lord really does know all things. He knows how to comfort each and everyone one of us in our own specific way. I have also been humbled by how much the Lord does care for us. He has created worlds without end but he still has time to attend to my own problems and to help me discover my own divine potential.





Nathan Sardoni
Sister Embree
Communications 150
MWF 2-3
Febuary5 2010

I really like this talk and I have read it on many separate and different occasions. The principle of not taking offense is something that I have had to work very hard ay because people often assume that I can take more kidding than I am truly comfortable with. Growing up with my birthday on April first has always given me ample opportunities to have the joke played on me and to not have the last laugh. I remember when my older sister gave me a rock for my birthday and well I was more than stunned. I was 10 and I remember getting this huge box from my older sister. I had never seen a box so big from her so I got really excited, I mean I was bouncing off the walls. Then to my great disappointment I found only empty boxes and then at the very end of my search a small rock. I had no idea what to do. I was crest fallen, this was my birthday and I was ten and here I was getting a rock from a family member. It was then that it occurred to me that I had two choices one, to get over it and not think about it anymore or two, to just throw a fit and cause mass mayhem. I chose option one and man I’m thankful for that. Ever since then I have always tried to not throw temper tantrums but being me that has been a very difficult goal. I am what some people call a very spirited person.
The next thing I always try to do is give disclaimers for everything I say. I have found that when I speak most people get the impression that I am speaking in absolutes when I am not. I have on more than one occasion gotten a lecture from a mom about how I need to not be so mean to their children and what. I have really tried since then to tell everyone before hand that I am joking or that this is only a guess or opinion. Most people still think that I am to serious with my comments but I have seen an improvement in myself and also not as many people get offended anymore. I hate offending people but this still hasn’t stopped me from sharing my opinions or telling the truth about how I really feel. I think this may be why I have had little to no success with my dating life. I don’t think learning how to lie will fix this either so I still have a lot of work cut out for me.


Nathan Sardoni
Sister Embree
Communication 150
MWF 2-3
Recognizing My Emotions

The recognition of my emotions wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I have been told in the past that I need to show more emotion but when I took the time to actually stop and pay attention I would find myself awash with tons of different emotions. A very simple way I found what I was feeling was paying attention to how my body felt. When I was hungry with low blood sugar I found that I was very irritable and didn’t have a lot of patience for anything. When I was content and without hunger or fatigue I was actually quit happy and would laugh at just about anything remotely humorous.
I found that when my emotions were not running high I had a much more difficult time telling what my emotions were. They were just a hodge-podge of mixed feelings.
Most of my emotions are actually quit strong. I don’t really have a lot for middle ground between them maybe one reason is that I try to make a conscience effort at being happy. When you are trying to have an emotion you avoid everything else that comes to your attention like anger or happiness.
I found that in many situations a show emotion but I also found that I put myself in very similar situation for comfort. I like being happy so I am nearly always around people who make me happy. I like to laugh and smile so I put myself in those kinds of situations. When I get angry I need to leave the place or people that have been giving me stimuli to feel that way. I found that at about 10-11 is my most susceptible time to get angry. I haven’t eaten in a while and the first real part of the days fatigue is starting to set in and I get frustrated. Thus happens especially when people try to argue with me or I don’t like what someone is doing with my possessions.
Late at night when I am feeling a little to angry or intense I really have to make an effort not to rip some ones head off. It is so hard to listen to people when you have a head ache because all I want to do is go to bed. When I catch my second wind later in the evening my demeanor completely changes. I get really giddy and laugh and even the most mundane attempts at humor that my roommates provide. I really enjoyed my nights more when I found out how much I really change and I have since started to hydrate myself later on in the evening.


Nathan Sardoni
Sister Embree
Communication 150
MWF 2-3
February 12 2010

Buckets and Dippers.

Life is really just like a box of chocolates you truly never know what your going to get. Everyday we have new experiences and perceptions. People are just a non stop fun because of the way everyone sees the world around them. I myself choose to take a very positive look on life but there are those that see life as a cup that half empty not full.
In life I have had one to many opportunities to stand for what I believe in an environment that wasn’t a friendly one. When reading about how those who have feelings of insecurity will lass out at others because of their confidence I understood why so many people would continually pester me about why I believed in the things that I did because they themselves were not sure of what life was truly about. I found in my senior year that when I treated these people with respect and kindness that they would slowly I mean slowly come around to treat me the same way.
In my own life I have on occasion tried to steal another’s water. I have found that I try to steal water when it comes to physical prowess. I am not a very big person and when I would go out and play sports I would more often then not leave the arena frustrated at how the bigger boys were able to handle the game despite my best efforts. I would go and say many things that I really didn’t mean and try to put another down so I could feel better about myself. Throughout the years I have continually tried to remedy this fault but It wasn’t in tell I entered the mission field that I was able to find a better way to control myself. It was by caring about someone else more than myself that helped me conquer these feelings of frustration.
All in all I think this talk has a lot of precedence in our daily lives. We all need to look at others in a more respective light. Trying to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes does more than anyone really knows and as Bishop Burton has said, “Good Samaritanism is contagious. Providing in the Lords way humbles the rich, it exalts the poor, and sanctifies both. The giver helps those in need by sharing what he has received. The receiver accepts the offering with gratitude. As the receiver rises to his full potential, he then is able to reach out to help others“(Bishop Burton Go and Do Likewise, Ensign May, 1997, pg 75 ).


Nathan Sardoni
MFW 2-3
Tongue of Angels

This is a great talk on how to use our gift of speech. I have over the years read many talks on this subject and this is in my opinion the best one. I like this one because it inspires one to do better out of being happy not out of condemnation. It was through Elder Holland’s own words and the way that he used them that made all the difference. I actually felt uplifted and insipid to do better instead of the usually remorse and self pity that other talks in the past have left.
I have recently come under the idea that everyone in their youth makes more than one or two mistakes and more especially when it comes to bridling their tongues. I know I made more than my fair share of mistakes in this regard but the difference between good people and those who aspire to be less is the attitude of learning and change. I from personal experience can say that everyone can change the way they speak and the way they treat others. Growing up I did not have the cleanest mouth but it was through some of the principles that Elder Holland touched on that I found the way to change. Many people will tell you not to say certain things but they will never really tell you why or help you set goals to stop. I my mind this is one of those areas that many members of the church can do better in supporting those with problem. With a plan to help people set goals many would change and become better orators.
When we speak to people in a condescending way we never I mean never get the message across. It is intelligent for people to not listen when others are being mean and manipulative and when you speak to others this way you are only weakening your position in the conversation. I feel this is why Elder Holland’s approach which was a come on guys lets do better way will help more people. He tells us of what our potential for good is and helps us set goals to get there. When you go out of your way to help people set goals and make plans they the other people will almost always come and join your camp. This is how long lasting friendships are made and last. Even old friends if treated badly will leave your companionship. How you talk to others reflex a huge part of what you think of them.



Nathan Sardoni
Professor Embree
Communications 150
MWF 2-3 Jan 19 2010
This last weekend I found the people that really needed to hear a real compliment. To give the backdrop the three people a decided to report on where all very different individuals which in tern made each of their compliments very different. This weekend while working on a home movie project I gave a compliment to a new roommate. When eating dinner at and old friends house I complimented the cook. The last was the most difficult because I was being rubbed the wrong way by this individual at the time but after the compliment left my lips the rooms atmosphere really did change.
This last weekend I got another taste on how difficult it really if to film a movie. Especially if you have to direct, write, and edit the whole thing. It was during the filming of some faster paced scenes that I really started to notice how much my roommate Jason could act. I was hesitant about bringing him to the movie shoot but after we got there he really gave over one hundred percent. After a stunt scene I went told him that he really could act. I thought it was a simple statement but after I said these words he had a lot more confidence in front of the camera and was willing to do just about anything. I have thought a lot about what happened that day because I told him he was a true actor and I found myself having a much better time filming the movie.
Earlier in the week I received a message from an old friend that I was invited to his place for dinner. For dinner we had lasagna and it was great. The cook who had made the dish I had never met before. She was a young girl of about 18 and had grown up in the same stake as my friend. I remember telling her thank you for the meal and that it tasted great which of course brought in a chorus from everyone else in the room. At first she said that she hadn’t really done anything but when she said how little she had done I remembered our class discussion last Friday. How people seem to down play their talents to not look pride full. It was in that moment that I told her it tasted good so whatever she did was enough. Her countenance changed after this, although she never admitted to how good dinner was she opened up and told me that I had missed her Sunday soup and that I was invited this fallowing week to come back and have some. Giving compliments makes friends so fast. I didn’t even know this person but because I showed interest in one of her accomplishment she really opened up and became more comfortable.
My last example was the hardest compliment to give this last few days. This semester we had new people move in and one of these new individuals has been well the best way to put it is he has been busting my chops since day one. I don’t think he does so on purpose but he is just a really critical dude. Now I don’t want to sound to conceited but half the time it is just really hard to take him seriously. He has told us all that this semester he has been more confident with girls and that he was going on a lot more dates than he previously had. This was really important to him so when the subject came up on Sunday I took the time to tell him what a great guy he was and how dating was no big deal for a dude like him. I think that this compliment went a long way for our relationship and I felt really good, really good after giving him this compliment.


The learning Model
The Role of a teacher here at B.Y.U. Idaho is to guide the learning of all participants in the class. I really like the word guide because while I was growing up I felt that many of my teachers were just speaking or teachings what they wanted to. While I was in the mission field I really did learn what a good teaching environment was. Most information we hear or see is very easily forgotten but the feelings we have are not forgotten. Now when I teach I do not strive to pass on a lot of mundane information but I really try to inspire all who are listening to have a drive to learn the material that I was presenting. Here at B.Y.U. Idaho I feel that many of the teachers are the same way, they all prepare and focus on the most important information at hand and inspire their students to go out and excel.
The Role of the student here at B.Y.U. Idaho is in fact to learn as much as possible. While going to class is a fundamental part of learning on a college campus it is not the only thing that needs to be done. It is what you do in class by taking notes or asking questions that the real learning takes place inside the class room. Another purpose of learning is to also pass on the information that you have learned to your peers. This is one of Gods schools and to learn you also need to have the charity to give.
Every semester I make a goal to learn things that are outside of the box and to come up with comments in class that are relevant that no one else does. This goal has really always pushed me to write more interesting papers and to come up with real comments for in class discussions.
If we all as students want to emulate the savior then we all need to come to class ready to learn. The Savior was always ready to learn from another and because he was always ready and willing I believe he had more opportunities to teach and testify of what was important to him.