Don't Tell Me What to Do

At the beginning of the school year, Vaitiare Pito wasn't even a member of the Church. So how did a new member who had never been to seminary before help her team win the Faaa stake scripture mastery championship?

"I wasn't worried about not having a lot of experience," she says. "I learned many of those verses during the missionary lessons."

Most of Vaitiare's family joined the Church after her father died unexpectedly and the ward mission leader brought the missionaries to Vaitiare's home. They talked about family unity and being together forever. "It really brought a change to our family," she says.

However, it didn't necessarily change the 17-year-old's independent streak. "After I was baptized, everyone told me I should go to seminary," she says. "I don't like being told what to do, so it took me a while to go."

Eventually she decided for herself to go and found she enjoyed it. She was assigned to be part of the same scripture mastery team as Rooma.

At first she didn't make an effort to read the scripture assignments. But when she decided she would, she soon recognized a number of blessings.

"The scriptures have been a great help," she says. "I have learned from the scriptures many things," including the importance of prayer and that Heavenly Father will answer those prayers.

She also learned that when she decides to commit to something, like going to seminary or reading the scriptures, keeping the commitment is easier than if she does it because she has to or is "supposed" to.

Now that the school year is over, Vaitiare is grateful she chose to go to seminary and study the scriptures: "I know when we read the scriptures, we are blessed."