My Brother, The Missionary

My little brother, whom I love and adore, is in England for the next two years!  As members of the LDS faith, young men who are age 18 or older and who have proven themselves clean and worthy may be recommended to serve a full-time mission for two years.  (Women can also serve, but at age 19 and for eighteen months instead of two years.)  My little brother was called to serve in the England London South Mission!  He has now been out for a little over a month and he is loving every minute of it!!  We get weekly emails and these are some pictures from this week!

 Words of Wisdom from My Brother on Encouraging Others to Serve Missions:

"Tell them that this is a once in a life time opportunity and that they will never regret the decision to serve a mission. It is the biggest learning experience they will ever have, and not just spiritually. They will learn and grow so much on a mission. Its unreal. I have only been out a little while and I have already seen how much I have grown and how much I have learned. It's incredible."

A Short Piece of Prose

One of my classes (my least favorite- Foundations of Literacy) is what's called a blended learning course.  Half of the time, we meet actually in a classroom and the other half of the time we complete online learning modules instead of going to class.  This week's topic is writing.  I was working on my module and got to a point in the lesson where the instructions were to simply write.  "Take the next 20 minutes and write. It can be a poem, a letter, or an essay--the style and topic do not matter. Write about something that is important to you."  

The following is the product of that experience.

Your Arms

            Your arms are not like other people’s arms.  Other arms are all skin and elbows and hair.  Some of them are skinny, and some of them are flappy like mine.  Some of them are big and bulging.  But none of them are like yours.  Yours are covered with strength and support.  The muscles inside of them are made of warmth and comfort.  They’re prickly with love instead of hair.  Other arms wrap you up with hugs and shoulders.  Your arms make a home where I am always welcome and can feel the joyful sensation of belonging.  Your arms are attached to your hands.  Just like your arms, your hands are not like other people’s hands either.  Other people’s hands can be dry and scratchy like when you’re washed them too much.  Other’s people’s hands can be slippery and hard to hold on to like they’ve just bathed them in oil.  Other’s people’s hands can be grabby, always searching for something to snatch up and cling to.  Other’s people’s hands can be shy, never actually touching yours but wishing they could and wanting you to make the first move.  Other people’s hands can hurt.  They form fists and slaps and pointing fingers, their only intention to bring pain and take away pleasure.  But your hands don’t do that.  Your hands are not perfect in appearance, but in them is the fulfillment of perfection.  Your hands are always inviting, waiting for me to accept your invitation.  You have taken my hand in your many times, but never forced me to keep holding on.  But I have.  I’ve held on so many times through the bad and the ugly.  I’ve tried to hold on, despite the messages of the world and the thoughts that try to penetrate my faith.  Why are you still holding on?  Why don’t you just let go?  Why don’t you just do what you know will bring results?  Why do you dare to think that there’s something better for you?  These thoughts are hard sometimes and it takes me a while to push them away.  While they’re in my mind, I can’t move forward, but you’re patient with me.  You know that it’s hard for me, because you’ve done it before.  Fighting past the thoughts, I can continue to endure and press forward with you leading me on.  Your imperfectly perfect hands and arms are not the only parts of you.  My favorite is your eyes.  I don’t know what color they are.  Maybe blue like mine?  Probably brown; the same kind of brown that just makes you feel close and warm.  But even if they’re not really brown, I do know one thing I’ll find in them: love.  When one day I can see your face again and look into your eyes as you look into mine, I’ll see your excitement that I kept holding on, even though it was hard.  I’ll see your joy from all the times I didn’t falter and none of the disappointment for the times I did.  I’ll see your love that has been there for me all along and that has made me feel important, even when no one else said I was.  I’ll feel the home of your embrace, celebrating the light that envelopes me, never again to leave.

https://istandallamazed.wordpress.com/tag/comfort/

He Loves You Because of You and He Needs You

(Be warned, this one is rather lengthy.)

Thinking about divine nature always reminds me of these lyrics, which I imagine would be how the Savior feels about us whenever we feel down.  “The greatest gift I could give to you, is if you could see yourself the way I do.”

image taken from http://findingstrengthwithin.blogspot.com/

We have so much potential to grow and become better.  At this current moment, our souls are filled with sorrows, our bodies with weaknesses, and at times, our lives can be filled with sin.  But we have the potential to become better, no matter what state we are currently in.  Not only in this life, but the gospel teaches us that we also have potential in the next life to become like Gods if we endure the trials and challenges of this life and remain true to the truths of the gospel.

“There is something of divinity within each of you.  You have such tremendous potential with that quality as part of your inherited nature.  Every one of you was endowed by your Father in Heaven with a tremendous capacity to do good in the world.” (Gordon B. Hinckley)

Heavenly Father knows us- we were with Him before we came to Earth, He is with us now, and, if we live faithfully, we will live with Him in the eternities.  He knows us even better than we know ourselves, because He knows what we have the potential to become.  Because he knows us so well, he has catered a plan, specific and individual to each of us, that will help us to realize who we are and to become the person He knows we can be.

image taken from http://www.ldsliberty.org/the-moral-question-of-government/pre-mortal-life-5/

Stop for a moment and think about who you are right now.  Think about the relationships you have, where you live.  What are the experiences that led you there?  Without just one of those experiences, would you be where you are now?  How can we deny that those experiences were not crafted and put into our lives by a loving Father who is helping us to reach our divine potential?

Image from pinterest

Individual Worth, to me, has always meant the statement that everyone is important to God.  But this blanket statement is not personal, and defeats the purpose of individual worth. 

You are important and have infinite worth to our Father in Heaven because of who you are and the potential you have.  You bring to the table a unique combination of experiences and ideas and traits that make up your irreplaceable character which no one else can bring.  No one else can ever take your spot, and that’s why you’re important. 

Dieter F. Uchtdorf shared a story about a couple living in Utah: Every week, the man, while he was at work, would pull out his scriptures or other Church literature during lunch and read.  His coworkers would ridicule him and challenge his beliefs every day.  Nevertheless, he smiled and spoke to them with kindness and confidence.  Years later, one of the men who had mocked him asked the man to speak at his funeral, which he did.  His influence was known and felt by all who came into contact with him, even those who mocked him.  His wife, widowed after an industrial accident, underwent brain surgery, leaving her unable to walk or write.  People love coming to spend time with this dear sister because she listens and remembers.  “She never complains but spends her days blessing the lives of others … This couple would have been the first to say they were not much of importance in this world.  But the Lord uses a scale very different from the World’s to weigh the worth of a soul.  He knows this faithful couple; He loves them.”

Psalms 8:3-6 says:

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.  Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:”

This scripture brings us to the interesting paradox of man.  The Lord created the universe; he created worlds without end and compared to Him, man is nothing.  We literally are mortal beings who live on a small planet and live for only a brief moment in the grand expanse of the universe.  But we matter to him- thus creating the paradox.  WHY?  Why does he care about us so much?  Why has he given us so much?  He created this universe just for us so that we could grow and become immortal beings ourselves.  Dieter F. Uchtdorf gives us this answer- “God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child.  He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become.” 

Using our knowledge about divine nature, we can more fully understand our individual worth.  For illustrative purposes, I’m calling this Divine Worth- the sandwich of Divine Nature and Individual Worth.

To the world, your worth is determined by how big your house is, how updated you are in technological advances, how many people you sleep with, how many countries you’ve been to, how many gold medals you have, or how ‘ideal’ your figure is.  Worldly worth is a process of comparison between yourself and somebody else- there are all kinds of examples of this in rankings of team players, lists of most attractive people, and even in calculating one player’s odds of winning over another’s.   “A person’s true value has little to do with what the world holds in high esteem … The Lord uses a scale very different from the World’s to weigh the worth of a soul” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf).  The Lord’s scale is not based on class rankings, or where we live, or even what our calling in the church is.  The Lord’s scale is based off of who we are and who we have the potential to become.  It’s our divine nature that helps us understand our individual worth.

In preparing this talk, a song I learned when I was young kept returning to my mind called Every Star is Different.  “Every star is different and so is every child- some are bright and happy, and some are meek and mild.  Every one is needed for just what he can do; you’re the only person who ever can be you.”  This first verse teaches us that every single one of us is different- we each have different experiences, different ideas, and different characteristics that combine in a unique way to make us who we are.  None of us is exactly the same; even those who go through life together and have the same physical experiences will not have the same perceptions or thoughts and thus create different people.  Because of this uniqueness, we are, as the song said, the only person who can be who we are.  This makes each and every single one of us needed in some way or another by our Father in Heaven- we each have a divine mission to fulfill on this Earth and we are the only ones who can do it.  Because of our individual worth, our unique experiences and ideas that create our own distinctive characteristics- no one else can complete our responsibilities in the same way that we can.  They also cannot grow in the same way we will after going through an experience. 

He loves us because of us- who we are and who we will become.  Our individual worth is because of our divine nature.  These two values are infinitely connected and each one helps us to understand the other.  Yes, the Lord cares about us and loves us.  But He doesn’t base that love off of how well we did on our finals, how many dates we went on last week, or even where we work.  “What matter[s] to Him [is] that [we’re] doing the best [we can], that [our] heart[s] [are] inclined toward Him, and that [we are] willing to help those around [us]… God knows that some of the greatest souls who have ever lived are those who will never appear in the chronicles of history.”  (Uchtdorf)

Let us continue on in doing everything we can to reach our divine potential; let us look at others through the eyes of the Lord; and let us remember that we matter to Him.  

(images taken from www.lds.org unless otherwise noted.)

Good Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Comfort and Joy

Brought to you By:

The brand new, oh-so-amazing Round Covered Baker from Pampered Chef that I just received! (So excited to make soup in this bad boy!)

AND

This video.

Okay, so these two things bring lots of laughter, happiness, warmth, and smiles into my life.  I mean, what is better than sitting inside on a cold wintry night with a nice bowl of warm soup, snuggled up in your blanket, watching Christmas movies?  Or listening to Christmas music and enjoying the silent lights of the Christmas tree?

This season is all about comfort and joy, but in a different way.  Last night I participated in a Messiah sing-a-long on BYU Campus.  It was lots of fun and my roommates and I definitely have some good memories from it.  But that words and message behind the Messiah are so powerful that I couldn't help but marvel at what we celebrate during this Christmas season.  Our Savior, Jesus Christ, was born on Christmas day and He can bring us more comfort and joy than we could ever imagine.  We can be instruments in his hands to bring to pass his glorious and eternal purposes.  There are so many people we can touch, so many lives that we can change by just having a Christmas spirit all year round and sharing the joy of Christ with them.  Christ was born to die so that we may live again.  That statement alone should bring us exuberant and overwhelming joy!  Joy to the world because the Lord came and died for us!  In accomplishing this task, he suffered every pain and hurt imaginable.  He was human, just like us.  He knows how we feel and because he knows how we personally feel, he can comfort us better than any other being on this Earth.  He knows how it feels to be betrayed.  He knows how it feels to be completely alone.  He knows how it feels to lose loved ones and family members.  He knows how it feels to not be trusted.  And because He loves us, He knows how it feels to watch those we love suffer.  He knows.  How cool is that?!  How I wish that everyone could hear this message, feel God's love, and know that He really is there!  It brings such joy to my life to know that I can feel His spirit with me all day, every day.  

I testify that He lives, that He loves us, and that He will comfort us.  Like a friend with open arms, He waits and beckons "Come, follow me."  Let nothing you dismay during this holiday season or anytime throughout the year because Christ is always there for you.  And that's really comforting. :]

On the First Day of Christmas

I think this song is funny, but emphasizes two main points.  One- Christmas has really become more about the money to be made and commercialism.  Two- It's starting sooner every year. (But mostly it's just funny)

I'm one of those people who hates when I see Christmas paraphernalia out before Thanksgiving.  Not because I'm a Scrooge, but because it's never the right Christmas stuff.  I would love it if nativity scenes were sold all year-round at major retailers.  As a collector of nativities, trust me- they are not easily found in shopping centers year-round.  I feel like I always see stockings and Santa and garlands and Christmas trees out long before any nativities.  I know lots of people have said it, but I'll say it again because Christmas has become so commercialized.  We need to remember the CHRIST in CHRISTmas.

If it weren't for Christ, our lives would be entirely different.  He created this Earth, the beautiful landscapes and animals which we pay money to see (Been to the zoo lately?  Or a national park?).  He presented the plan of happiness which allows us to potentially return to live with Him someday, and He is also the main part of that plan- He died to satisfy justice and allow God to exercise mercy.  How can we only remember Him once a year??

Growing up, I remember my sweet mother leaving the Holy Family part of her ceramic nativity on the mantel all year.  It never came down.  Baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Joseph were always there right next to the clocks and pictures.  One year, I asked her why.  No one else had their nativities up and they were a Christmas thing, weren't they?  She taught me that it's because we remember the Savior all year.  He is not just the reason for the season- He's the reason for everything.  Why can't we remember to honor Him more than just one month out of the year?

I have a wooden decorative piece that I put up just recently and it says "The magic of Christmas is not in the presents but in His presence."  His presence can be with us all year round.  He doesn't leave us on our own for eleven months out of the year and come around for December to celebrate.  He does not leave us comfortless.  He is with us always.  He loves us and remembers us all year round.  We should do the same for Him.

Be Brave

This song has been stuck in my head since like ... Thursday.  And I've thought a lot about it and I want to share it with you, dear readers. This song is called Brave, originally sung by Sara Bareilles.  This cover is by BYU Vocal Point.

When this song first started making it's rounds through my brain, I thought that I've never really had to be brave and bravery is just another word used to describe awesome people who do amazing things that could very easily backfire or not turn out so well.  The image that I usually think of is either a firemen diving into a blazing building to save the old woman trapped on the second floor or the soldier leaping from the fox hole with the image of his family burning in his mind.

But then I started thinking about the fact that it was Thanksgiving and I should be grateful for other's bravery.  And then I started coming up with all these wonderful examples of bravery that have allowed me to be where I am today.

In Search of Freedom
The pilgrims, obviously, are something we associate with Thanksgiving.  They wanted more than what England was offering them.  They acted on bravery to cross the Atlantic and settle the new world.  Many of them lost loved ones and many of them passed away.  But all of them were brave enough to leave what was familiar in favor of the unknown for the sake of a new world.

For King and Country
I've already mentioned the image of the soldier going to battle, but I truly am grateful for all of those brave men and women who serve their country.  Whether they're from the same country as me or not, to put the place you live before your own life is such a courageous act that it deserves to be mentioned twice.  In the future, there will come a day when we no longer need to defend ourselves from outsiders, but until that day comes, I'm grateful that we have valiant people who are there to answer the call to arms.

To Be the Example
It's so easy to just do what everyone else is doing, and so hard sometimes to do what you know to be right.  Goodness knows that there are countless examples out there of people who I am and am not familiar with who stand up for what they know to be right in the face of friends.  It reminds me of Neville from Harry Potter.  It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends.

For the Sake of Others
My mother's family is from Denmark.  One of my ancestors (an umpteenth-great grandmother) showed her bravery when she joined the LDS church and then journeyed to America to meet the Saints.  Her father disowned her and told her never to return after she was baptized.  She can't have known then how much her actions have affected my entire family.  She knew that the church was true and she knew what she needed to do because of it.  The threats of others didn't stop her from doing what she knew she needed to do and because of her, thousands have been blessed- all of her posterity and all they come in contact with have the opportunity to feel the joy that comes from the gospel of Christ.

For the Lack of Wisdom
Joseph Smith, a young boy of 14, desperately wanted to know which of all the religions of the day was right.  He was directed by James that if he lacked wisdom, he should ask of God and God would answer him.  He awoke one spring morning and bravely knelt in a clearing and asked the question he was seeking an answer to.  Boy did he receive an answer (click here).  After receiving that answer, he maintained that what had happened was true and he bravely refused to deny it throughout his life.  He brought forth The Book of Mormon.  He reestablished the Lord's church on the Earth as it was in the days of Christ.  Through him the ordinances of the gospel were restored.  He led the Saints from place to place, from persecution to persecution, while still never denying the Lord and His purposes.  And in the final days of his life, he was led to the place where he knew he would die, and with his brother he was martyred all for the sake of the gospel.  If that's not brave, then I don't know what is.

Bravery plays a very important part in shaping not only the world but also our daily lives.  Think about all the people from your family history.  If just one of them had decided to not do something instead of actually doing it or vice versa, how different would your life be today?  If instead of being brave they simply went with the flow and did nothing, how would your life be changed?

Everyone is brave.  For the soldier, brave is getting in that truck, or on that plane, or boat.  For the mother, brave is sticking with it on those hard days.  For the depressed soul, brave is getting out of bed and choosing to live another day.  For the lonely college student, brave is saying hi and speaking up.  For the small child, brave is saying goodbye for a few hours to go to kindergarten.  For the proud sibling, brave is saying you're sorry.  For the humble servant of the Lord, brave is saying yes no matter what He asks of you.

Everyone is brave.  Everyone has challenges they face, mountains they have to climb.  Brave is climbing those mountains.

The Prophet Said to Plant a Garden

... so that's what we did!  We got up before the sun was over the mountains and planted bulbs and flowers at the Salt Lake temple.  It was SO fun!

Photo compliments of Jess :]

Can't wait to go back in April and see all the beautiful flowers we planted!!

There are Better Days Ahead

Sometimes it's really hard to just go on pure faith, but sometimes, it's all we can do.  We exercise our faith and put our trust in God that He will take care of us, and that everything will work out for the best.  We don't know how, and we can't seem to figure it out.  But God does know.  He knows exactly how everything will work out and stands there, with his arms outstretched, asking us to trust him.  "Come, follow me."  If we do what He asks, He will bless us and He will not let us fail.

http://media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com/736x/d1/19/2b/d1192bc0690e0aefdfade7dc1bb9e7e0.jpg

This past week, I acted on a prompting to do something that I wasn't sure I could do.  I didn't see how it would work out, how everything would be okay.  But if there's one thing I've learned from the past three years, it's to trust in God.  I took His advice and hoped everything would work out.  Everything hasn't worked out yet, but I'm beginning to see those "better days ahead."

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/38/bc/e0/38bce0fd82b0d7f52428bc0348b59f55.jpg

So when you're feeling down, stand a little taller, walk a little higher, and smile a little brighter.  Someone's watching out for you in ways you aren't even aware of.  Sometimes, he let's it rain.  But after every rainstorm comes a beautiful rainbow.  It might be big, or it might be small, or it may even be hard to see until long after we think the storm is over, but we have been promised that it will come.

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8d/d0/86/8dd08619abf4c8a6408477eb82c6ee8a.jpg

Here's to the rain storms; here's to the leap of faith; here's to the days when your trust in God is all you have to go on; and here's to the blessings and promises that will come because of those days.

From Within the Shadows of the Everlasting Hills

Gorgeous picture taken from http://www.listentech.com/media/Main_lds_conference_center.jpg

Wasn't Conference so AWESOME?! I love the spiritual outpouring that we get to experience for the ENTIRE weekend twice a year during General Conference.  It really refreshes us and refocuses us on what we need to do.  So, here are some themes and highlights that I picked up on:

1) Share the gospel!
There was a lot of focus on this topic during the Saturday sessions.  President Monson began conference by telling us that now is the time for members and missionaries to work together!  I especially appreciated Elder Ballard's talk which addressed several of my own concerns with sharing the gospel.  It's natural to be apprehensive.  Pray for opportunities and don't be afraid of what you'll have to do.  Elder Nielsen of the 70 shared a lot of animation and enthusiasm about missionary work and sharing the gospel.  We should all be just as excited as he was!

2) Endure to the end!
There was a huge emphasis on this during the Sunday sessions.  Elder Scott talked about losing ourselves in service to others to help us endure and hold fast to the rod, like Elder Hamilton of the 70 reminded us.  President Monson reminded us that we truly need him every hour, whether rain or shine.  Elder Eyring mentioned that this life is to polish us to return to the presence of God.

3) The Law of Chastity
I really loved the laying down of the law by Elder Oaks on what exactly is allowed and that nothing else is appropriate.  Loved it.  SO much.  And Elder Nelson continued that theme, but with a different approach.  Both were extremely wonderful and extremely insightful.  If you have questions regarding what Mormons believe about marriage, homosexuality, and chastity.  Read/watch them.  They both hit it right on the head.

4) The Priesthood
If you know anything about what's happening in the church right now, then hopefully you loved Elder Andersen's talk as much as I did.  I was reminded of a lesson in one of my religion classes when my teacher (Anthony Sweat, if you're interested) taught us about the difference between Priesthood Power and Priesthood Offices.  We all have access to the power of the priesthood, simply by keeping his commandments and honoring our covenants.

I encourage everyone, LDS or not, to watch conference and learn what our modern day prophets and apostles have said and warned us against.  I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true.  I know that President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and and he and the apostles speak with authority and revelation from God.  I know where I want to go and what I need to do to get there. Do you?

A Reflection Upon a Novel I Recently Read and Other Stories

I received this book for Christmas and had no time to read it until I suddenly had a full day of traveling to the east coast and another full day of traveling back (pics to come ...).  It is simply wonderful.  It's a rather simple read and not what I would usually spend precious reading time on, but I read it out of obligation and I'm glad I did.  If you ever wanted to know about the journey involved with change, this is an excellent book.  Changing is not easy.  It's never been that way, and it never will be.  It takes work, and it takes effort.  Change is something none of us looks forward to, but each of us has to experience.  We must go through the Lord's refining fires to change us from the natural man.  Every day can be a struggle and require so much willpower and force that we shudder to think of the great effort we could possibly put forth.  But the fruits of those efforts are sweeter than the icing on the cake.

I recently related to a friend the old adage that had helped me through so much of my sophomore year: "God won't give you anything you can't handle."  It set off an unpleasant moment and made me feel quite upset.  I've thought about that saying since then and the changes that it had helped me to go through.  I knew that those changes had strongly tested my own abilities and boundaries.  It didn't seem right that God would give me more than I could handle.  After all, I ended my sophomore year on a good note and I've handled everything else that I've been called to endure.  Wasn't I stronger than I had originally thought?  Just yesterday, I found this.

Oh, boy.  What a wake up call.  Christ, through his atonement, gives us the extra power and strength that we need to endure this crazy thing called life.  Yes, friend, you were right.  God sometimes gives us more than we can handle.  But He's there to help us every step of the way.  I didn't do it all and I have never completely handled anything given to me without his help.  No matter the trial, no matter the test, no matter the struggle, no matter the willpower and force, God has helped me to handle what He's given me.  And it's made me realize my reliance on him more than ever.  And perhaps, in a way, that has made me stronger.  But the real glory and wonder of making it, of handling life, goes to Christ and His atonement.  

Little Purple Pansies and Other Precious Things

All the flowers on campus are just beautiful.  I love them!  

We went to a multi-stake conference tonight for redistricting and changes in leadership.  Our ward became the 126th ward in the 9th stake.  And our bishopric was released.  I'm really going to miss them!  It's been a pleasure serving with such inspired and blessed men.  

The Johnsons 

Bishop and Sister Murdock

The Weaver

‎"My life is but a weaving
Between my Lord and me;
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily.
Ofttimes He weaveth sorrow
And I in foolish pride,
Forget that He seeth the upper,
And I the under side.
Not till the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver’s skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned."

-Unknown

Sunday Afternoons

Sunday Afternoons are for writing missionaries!!

Since I have lots of friends leaving on missions, make sure I have your address and I'll try to write you!! (No promises, though.  I sometimes get busy.)

In Response to the Pants Movement

Here's the original: click here

And here's where this response is linked to: click here

(Taken from Aimee Whitney, a good friend, on facebook.)  I most emphatically agree with this statement. 

I think this link is a well thought out response to the "wear pants this Sunday" agenda. I really appreciated these words. I've been sorry to read over the last week or so that so many women feel such group frustration and resentment toward the church. And sorry that it is manifesting in what I see as a form of "open rebellion". I say that because that seems to be the intent.

Please consider LDS ladies that it is a social norm that you wear dresses to church and not a commandment. We are asked to show respect to the Lord and to the Sacrament by "wearing our Sunday best". If you cannot afford new or nice clothes that is one thing. Come as you are - and we as Christians should openly accept anyone who wants to come and worship. As was the example given by Christ.

If you have "Sunday best" slacks and you feel more "at your best" in these than in a skirt, by all means wear them to church with pure intent and feel good about it - on ANY Sunday. I take issue, like Adrienne, with the venue and intent to make a large and loud group statement this coming Sunday. Wear pants any Sunday you feel good about wearing them. There is no rule or law that says you can't. Go to the temple in your nice slacks. It may fluster a few old folks, but ultimately if you are a loving, pleasant, and worthy person who happens to be a female wearing slacks - they won't care.

But it is the mentality of rebellion and making a group statement that is wrong in this scenario. I absolutely believe that there are inequalities of the treatment of the sexes in the practice of our religion. But I KNOW it is not inequalities that God condones. Remember that it is imperfect men who run the church on this earth. I've been thinking how frustrating it must be for God to have to rely on us - often selfish, prideful, greedy, sinful, grumpy creatures to move His great work forward. I can just picture Him often shaking His head in disbelief and sighing in disappointment at our behaviors while representing "in His name".

Of the men leading the church today - many or most do their best, some or few create problems for women with their open practice of chauvinism. I have personal experience with encounters with men who clearly view women as "beneath" them and that they need not consider what women think or feel because they have "authority" over them. Generally speaking this kind of behavior tends to come from an older generation, the younger men coming up in the church are more aware of the social acceptance of equality of the sexes - and will heed a woman's opinion more readily.

So again, I empathize with the hurt and frustration. BUT group anger or an attitude of "take that" or "so there" will not help. Trust me, I know. Just learn to be comfortable with what your needs are and take care of you - AKA if you want to wear pants because you feel better in pants, then by all means wear them anytime without having an agenda or something to prove.

In this scenario, I think quiet, humble, truth shown over time by individuals will be more powerful and effective for making change than a loud display of anger or a show of pride on one day by a large group."

Day 19

Today, I am extremely and overwhelmingly thankful for the kind soul who turned my scriptures in to the Lost and Found and the wonderful students who work in the Lost and Found and were able to help me locate my scriptures when I went looking for them.

I have had these scriptures since I was 8 years old.  They have accumulated a lot of handouts, gone to girl's camp and youth conference, been marked with all kinds of fun colors, and were recently lost for two months until today.  I had given up hope of finding them after the Lost and Found center turned me away last time, and since I needed scriptures for class, I went and bought a small quad from the bookstore.  I was overwhelmed with the task of remarking all of my favorite scriptures and hopelessly lost as for how to regain all the quotes and insights that had been glued in.

So glad to see my old friends again :]

Look how fat they are- so much stuff!!!

Whoever found them, I'm glad you did and I'm glad you turned them in.  Best. Day. Ever. :D

Quicky

So ... I promise more is coming later, but I just want to say ...

18 year old young men and 19 year old young women can serve a mission!!!!!!!!! 

SQUEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Gathering Of Societal Members Who Provide Relief in A Religious Sort of Way

(pasted from http://www.ldschurchnews.com/media/photos/2012/60493-m.jpg)

Yesterday was the LDS General Relief Society Meeting!  It. Was. Phenomenal.  My lovely presidency and I got tickets to actually go to the conference center!  (Squee!!) So, at 3:30 we piled in my counselor's car and started our journey up to Salt Lake, which is only about an hour drive.  But it was quite the adventure ...

So we're cruising along down the interstate, and we're about 15 minutes away from Salt Lake, when our driver all of a sudden gets a nose bleed.  We then cross four lanes of traffic to stop at a McDonald's in South Jordan and try to get it to stop.  It took us 45 minutes ... 

Then we were off again still thinking we would be just fine on time, as it was 5 pm when we left the McDonald's which is, again, only 15 minutes away from Salt Lake and the broadcast didn't start until 6.  Only ... there were TWO accidents on the interstate.  TWO!  (We checked on the way back; it took us half an hour to go what should have taken us two minutes)  

By the time we had pulled in to Salt Lake and found our parking spot, it was 5:56 pm.  We started booking it for the conference center.  We got there and had to stand in line for probably about 5 minutes and then we were finally in!  By the time we found seats and got to actually sit down, it was 6:20 pm.  And it was an amazing meeting.  Just phenomenal.

Those ladies who were called and sustained at the last general conference to be our general relief society presidency?  They're inspiring, outstanding, and just grand.  

If you didn't get the opportunity to watch the broadcast, I strongly encourage you to do so.
Click here to watch the broadcast.

Oh yeah, another funny story.  There were these ladies standing on the corners of the crosswalk right across from the conference center handing out tissues.  They looked super nice and had name tags on, so we each grabbed a package of tissues.  I thought it was so nice and super sweet, and wondered if they did this for every conference.  I was so impressed, I took a picture of it:

Once we were in the doors, about to have our bags checked, we learn that they were not full of tissues as one would have supposed.  They were full of Anti-LDS literature.  These ladies had taken time to unwrap thousands of tissue packages and alternate the tissues with hateful and inappropriate words, re-wrap the packages, and then seal them with a ribbon and hand them to the thousands of women journeying to hear the words of our beloved presidency and prophet.  

I was so amazed that someone, anyone, would take so much time and effort to attempt to destroy a woman's faith in her religion!  I am still shocked that people go through such great efforts to try and tear down what you know to be true.  While members of the LDS faith do proselyte and send missionaries out, we do not attack any one's religion or beliefs.  If you believe something different than I do, then I respect your views; I don't try to prove them wrong.  I might try to teach you what my religion is all about, but I will not disrespect your religion nor will I tell you that you are wrong and I'm right.  You have the freedom to believe whatever you want; I think all men should be allowed that same privilege.  America was founded on the concept of freedom, particularly that of religion.  Why should LDS members be denied that privilege?

I know that the gospel is true and I will not be moved from it.  I will stand true to the faith that my parents, grandparents, and ancestors have cherished and suffered for.  I know it's true and whether you think it is or isn't doesn't change what I know.

Out With the Old, and In With the New

Good morning Starshine!  The Earth says hello!!

Exciting news time!!  I have officially been released as the Ward Music Chairman (er, ... Chairwoman ...) and I am sad to see it go!!  I loved choosing the music every week and getting to know all the talented people in our ward!  But, change always comes, no matter how hard we might wish it were otherwise, and I have been called to serve as the Second Counselor in the Relief Society Presidency!!  I am even more excited for this calling!!  It will give me bajillions more opportunities to serve the girls in my ward and grow closer to the Savior!!  I am so excited!!

BUT!  I am also nervous.  This means I now have the RA job, 15 credits, the student manager job, and a much more involved calling.  I'm going to have a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it- I still have a lot to do from last semester.  So if I seem to be going crazy, it's because I am.  If I seem too busy to blog, it's because I am.  If I start speaking in French, it's because I'm attempting to learn it this semester and it's my hardest class.  

But, I digress... more exciting news:

• I've lost fifteen pounds this month!!
• I scored big at DI!! (New skirt and jeans in GREAT condition)
• I officially change my major from ECE to Business!!
• We now have a Preach My Gospel class during Sunday School and it's FANTASTIC!!!
• We had an apartment dinner yesterday and I invited a guy over!! (and it wasn't awkward!)
• I got a late Christmas card which made my day!! (Thanks, CLE!!)

and . . . 

• I get to wear jeans to work this week ;]

That's life!  And I'm lovin' it!

Things I learned from Noah's Ark

ONE: Don't miss the boat
TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat! 
THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark. 
FOUR: Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big. 
FIVE: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done. 
SIX: Build your future on high ground.
SEVEN: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
EIGHT: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
NINE: When you're stressed, float awhile.
TEN: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
ELEVEN: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

Holy Hymning

This is one of my absolute favorite hymns, called "Lead, Kindly Light."  You can listen to it here.

Lead, kindly Light amid th' encircling gloom; Lead thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home; Lead thou me on!
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene-- one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus nor prayed that thou shouldst lead me on
I loved to choose and see my path but now, lead thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will.  Remembered not past years.

So long thy pow'r hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on
O'er more and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till the night is gone.
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

This is a much simpler hymn, actually in the Children's Songbook, called "My Heavenly Father Loves Me." You can hear a beautiful rendition of it here.

Whenever I hear the song of a bird, or look at the blue, blue sky
Whenever I feel the rain on my face, or the wind as it rushes by
Whenever I touch a velvet rose, or walk by a lilac tree
I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world Heavenly Father created for me.

He gave me my eyes that I might see the color of butterfly wings.
He gave me my ears that I might hear the magical sound of things.
He gave me my life, my mind, my heart; I thank him reverently
Of all His creations of which I'm a part, yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me.

I think this last hymn speaks volumes.  It's "If You Could Hie to Kolob."  For my non-LDS friends, Kolob is the name of the place where God lives, as revealed to Abraham.  This is a beautiful piano arrangement by Chas Hathaway or this is the arrangement which I am learning to play by Aaron Waite.

If you could hie to Kolob
In the twinkling of an eye,
And then continue onward
With that same speed to fly,
Do you think that you could ever,
Through all eternity,
Find out the generation
Where Gods began to be?

Or see the grand beginning,
Where space did not extend?
Or view the last creation,
Where Gods and matter end?
Methinks the spirit whispers,
"No man has found 'pure space,'
Nor seen the outside curtains
Where nothing has a place."

The works of God continue
And worlds and lives abound;
Improvement and progression
Have one eternal round.
There is no end to matter;
There is no end to space;
There is no end to spirit;
There is no end to race.

There is no end to virtue;
There is no end to might;
There is no end to wisdom;
There is no end to light;
There is no end to union;
There is no end to youth;
There is no end to priesthood;
There is no end to truth.

There is no end to glory;
There is no end to love;
There is no end to being;
There is no death above.

There is no end to glory;

There is no end to love;

There is no end to being;

There is no death above.

Remember, to always have a hymn in your heart.  Have a happy day!