Be Thou an Example of the Believers

I just love General Conference! We are so lucky to be able to listen to the Prophet and to be able to hear all of the messages that are meant for us! So many of the talks seemed like they were just for me. It is hard for me to choose a favorite talk, in fact I don't think that is possible! One of my favorites actually comes from the Priesthood Session! You can listen to and read all of the talks by going to lds.org and finding the conference website link. It is definitely worth it to go and listen again. I have been feeding off of that website ever since conference!



The talk from the priesthood session that I loved was by Russell M. Nelson. He speaks a lot about missionaries and how important they are to our church. He also puts an emphasis on the importance of member missionaries. He tells us to be examples of the believers. "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12 After listening to this talk and thinking about that particular scripture, I thought, what better way to be an example of the believers in faith than being a missionary? I very highly doubt that there is any missionary who does this great work without faith. That would be like trying to teach without your heart. It is useless. By doing missionary work, even as a member missionary, we show Heavenly Father that we trust in His plan enough to want others to know and feel the same things that we, as members of the Church, do. This is a great way to exercise faith, by being an example and leading others to Christ. I'm so thankful that the Church has such a strong missionary program, and so grateful for the faithful members who do everything they can to be an example of the believers.

What was your favorite Conference talk??

Priceless Souls

In seminary this past week, my teacher gave a lesson on the worth of souls. I really enjoyed it, so I wanted to elaborate on it a bit. Doctrine and Covenants 18:10 says, "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God". To me, this scripture further proves Heavenly Fathers love for each of us. We are priceless to him and of infinite worth.

We need to recognize how special we are. Our lives can be hectic and just plain busy. We often have so many responsibilities that sometimes we feel like we're failing at some of them. That is where self doubt comes in. You can tell yourself that you're not good enough, or compare yourself to someone who seems to be more successful. Don't compare yourself to someone; each one of us has been created differently with our own strengths and weaknesses. You don't have to be the best. You just have to try to be your best.

Sometimes, we not only degrade our own feelings of self worth, but also those of others. Have you ever seen someone and thought something, or said something, or judged them based on only their outward appearance or their actions? Imagine how Heavenly Father feels when we do this. Those people that we judge are all sons or daughters of God.

In John 13:34 it reads, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also one another."
My seminary teacher gave us the challenge for the rest of the day to try to see others as God sees them. I think that challenge goes right along with that scripture. I took on the challenge, and for the rest of the day, I smiled at more people, and tried to see the worth of their soul. This helped me to gain a greater love for all of the people who are here on this earth. All of us chose to be here. We are each a son or daughter of God and we all have a purpose. I know that as we try to uplift others, they will be able to see their own worth.

Remember, it's okay to not be perfect, just don't put yourself down. You are of great worth in the sight of God. The atonement works and will help us gain perfection. Have faith in it!

I Too Must Give

Sorry for the long break between posts! I feel like I have been a total slacker, but hey, life gets busy. :)

One thing that I absolutely love is music. It can set a mood so easily. Have you ever been watching a movie and wondered what the feeling would be like without the music? Music helps us to feel a particular way. Most importantly, music helps to invite the Spirit. A couple weeks ago in sacrament meeting, we sang one of my favorite hymns, "Because I Have Been Given Much". Sometimes I wonder how the hymns put my feelings into words so perfectly. As members of the church, we truly have been given so much. I think it would be selfish of us not to share what we know with others. One way that we can easily show our faith is by helping others, and in the process, setting an example of the believers. In the hymn it says "I shall divide my gifts from thee with every brother that I see who has the need of help from me." It's so important to share our strengths with others. Even if we think we are not doing much, it can mean the world to the person on the receiving end.

Another service oriented hymn that I love is "Have I Done Any Good?" It reminds us that we have so much that we can do for others. Just giving a smile to someone and cheering them up can be so simple, so we should never pass those opportunities up. I know that a smile can brighten someone's day. When I was a sophomore, there was a senior girl who would always smile and say hi to me, and I didn't even know her! I thought this was so special, and it always made me so happy, so now I make it a point to smile and say hi to people when we pass by each other.

I recently went to a leadership workshop, and I loved it! Something that I learned that we can all take into our lives is:

Listen more
have more Enthusiasm
Acknowledge people more
be more Dedicated
have more Energy
be more Responsible
be more Sensitive

If you noticed, all of the capital letters spell out "Leaders". I think the ultimate goal of a leader is to give service to others. One other thing that I liked was that the word "more" was used in every phrase. You can always do more than you think you can!

On a side note, one thing that I've recently started doing before I read my scriptures is to sing a hymn or at least just read the words to one. It has been so helpful at night, when I have been running around at school all day. It helps me to clear my mind before I begin my scripture study. Try it, it can't hurt! I hope you all had a lovely Sabbath day!

Tests of Faith

Something that I think we all find ourselves asking sometimes is, "Why me?". When trials come our way we probably don't cheer and yell hip hip hooray. One of my Sunday school teachers recently told our class about one of her teachers that she had in the MTC. She told us that her teacher would actually pray for trials to come. Of course when I heard this I was in awe. We all feel like we have enough to deal with, so why would we need extra burdens? If we read at the beginning of the Book of Mormon in 1 Nephi 3:7, we learn that "the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." We won't be given any trial or burden that we won't be able to overcome. During trials, our faith can be tested. We must always hold onto our belief and have faith that things will work out. In the end, we always learn something from our trials or become a stronger or better person. We might go through trials just so that we will be able to learn, and help another person. Trials come in many forms, and as hard as it may be, we should accept them with a willing heart. I know that Heavenly Father would not give us something that we would not be able to handle and learn from. Trials are learning experiences that help to shape our character. I'm grateful for the trials that I have had in my own life. Since it took me so long to join the church, I have learned to appreciate what I have. I know for a fact that my Father in Heaven knows me and gave me that trial based on my needs and abilities. I admire that MTC teacher who prays for trials, and it's my hope that we can all appreciate and learn from our trials.

Don't Be a Fool

School started this Wednesday, and it has been good to see friends and get back into the routine of school. When someone asks you to make a quick list of the things you are grateful for, school probably isn't near the top of the list, right? Well why not? We can learn so much at school, and especially in seminary, if only we have the right attitude.

Today in Sunday School, we looked up Proverbs 1:7

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

In other words, it would be foolish to not to take advantage of the opportunities that we have to learn. This year is my senior year at Mesa High, and the first year that my parents have allowed me to take seminary. Throughout my previous years of high school, I would hear about kids, even some of my friends, who would ditch seminary for fun, or just didn't want to go. This would always break my heart, because if I could, I would be the first person to take their place. I think sometimes we just get so used to having certain things in our lives that we don't take the time to realize just how lucky we are. This year I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to take seminary at school. Already, seminary has been a time that I can get away from school and feel the Spirit. We should all be grateful for the opportunities that we have to go to school and seminary each weekday to fill out minds with knowledge. I have friends who are investigating the church that would love to go to seminary but can't, so we should never take it for granted. I know this will be a great school year!

Firm in the Faith

I'm Nichole and this is my first post on this blog! I'm so happy that Beth passed this on to me, and I'm even more excited to share some of my experiences with you. I just hope my posts can be as good as Beth's! I'm going to use this blog for my faith value project and share anything that I can about faith and anything else I think you might like. Once I am finished, I will pass this blog off to another girl. We are going to have a good time!

First off, you probably want to get to know a little about me. If you didn't know, I am a convert to the church. I have always known about Jesus Christ and believed in pretty much the same things that are taught in the LDS church, since my parents taught me and took me to a christian church when I was younger. I have always had the same standards throughout my whole life. I've known right from wrong and been a good kid growing up. My friend Miya and I have gone to school together since the days of Wilson Elementary. When we were in 3rd grade she thought I was LDS and was talking to me about something from primary. She recently told me that she was pretty surprised when I asked back then, "What's primary?" Haha can you imagine?

Fast forward to 7th grade. That's when I met my bff Aimee Allen. Fast forward again to 9th grade. She had seminary 2nd hour and I would walk with her halfway and then go back to my 2nd hour. I started asking her some pretty simple questions. I just thought everyone who was going to and from seminary was so happy! So then I invited myself to church with Aimee to see what the deal was. Right away I knew that this was where I needed to be!

My parents were pretty against the idea of me going to church, mostly because of things they had read or heard that weren't true. So I would only get to go to church if they were out of town and such. Sneaking to church...not exactly what most teenagers would do! My parents would do anything they could to try to keep me away from the church or any church activities. My mom told me not to read the Book of Mormon. My mom would find out that I was reading it and take it away, but I always got another one and kept reading. It took a lot of faith to believe that my parents would let me join the church someday. I know that fasting and prayer helped so much.
Finally this year my parents let me get baptized and it's been the best thing to happen so far! My family sees that I'm still the same person, only happier and becoming more Christlike. I know that they'll be happy for my decision someday if they aren't already.

I'm so grateful for the example and influence of friends and leaders that have helped to shape me. I love my ward family! It's amazing that something so simple as being a good friend can do so much! Have a little faith!

Purple and gold

My favorite color ever is purple. In my opinion, gold goes best with purple, so gold is another one of my favorite colors. My favorite word is integrity. Integrity goes with virtue. You can't really have one without the other. This makes virtue another of my favorite words. For Personal Progress, each of the values goes with a color. Integrity goes with purple. Virtue goes with gold. While my love for purple and gold has its start from Mesa High, Personal Progress has changed that love. I know, it's a wee bit strange to love those colors the way I do, but that's just how Beth does it. Never again will I wear a Mesa High shirt and think only of school spirit. I will also think of how I need to have integrity and be virtuous.

A few weeks ago, my sister, Amy, showed me a scripture. And this scripture made me very happy. It's Doctrine and Covenants 124:15:

"And again, verily I say unto you, blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith; for I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me, saith the Lord."

Amy went on to say that she thought that a part of integrity is loving that which is right. Go back about a month, when I did the post about virtue. Sis. Martineau said that virtue is righteous living. Integrity is loving what's right. So, if you love what's right, you'll love to do what's right. Therefore, if you have integrity, you'll be virtuous. If you have integrity, you'll want to be virtuous. You'll love to be virtuous.

As I've done this blog, integrity has come to mean something completely different to me than what I thought of it before. Integrity is amazing. If you have integrity, you're my hero. Because that makes you so strong. You're steadfast, you're firm, you're courageous, you're devoted, you're honest, and you're an example of Christ. I think that anyone who has integrity, LDS or not, exemplifies Christ. If I have ever mentioned you on this blog, or asked you to do a post, it is because I see that integrity in you. And I see it in many of you whom I haven't mentioned or asked to do a post. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to do this blog. I hope you have, maybe, learned something because of it. Maybe it has helped you out in some way. This is my last post. And, it feels so good. Nichole Carney is the one I'm passing the blog to. And she'll do amazing. I'm SO excited to see the posts that she'll do.

Before I end this post, I just want to share my testimony one last time, on here. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is totally, completely, and utterly true. I love it with all my heart. The Book of Mormon is a true book, and with it the Spirit can testify to you of truths. Music is a gift of God. Yep, that's surely part of my testimony. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, and brings me a peace that few others things can bring. The temple is the place to be. It is a house of God, and a place where sacred ordinances are done. It is the place where families can be sealed for time and all eternity. Jesus Christ is my Savior, and my best friend. He loves me, and every one of you. He suffered for me, He died for me, and He rose again, for me. He knows exactly what I'm going through, and will help me as long as I go to Him. Heavenly Father loves me, as does my Heavenly Mother. I am a daughter of royalty. I am a princess.

Last, but not least, I know the importance of integrity. And because of that, the importance of virtue. I just love it, love it, love it! If there's anything that I will never forget from this blog, it's integrity and how amazing it is. I want to have integrity. I strive for it, and hope that I have it, because I see the light in the eyes of you around me that have it, and I want that light. I want that strength. I want to be that example. And the Gospel? Yeah, it's amazing. There's nothing like it. It brings such happiness and joy to me life, like nothing else could.

Purple and gold, my friends, purple and gold. I love those two colors.

Cry unto the Lord - mumbling doesn't work too well

This week, I've been working on my prayers. For the past couple of years, I've pretty much been in the habit of saying my morning and evening prayers. No big deal. The thing is, a lot of times, the prayers I give aren't the most...focused. In the morning, I roll out of bed - literally - and say my prayers. I'm a little groggy and they usually end up being like 30 seconds because my brain is still slightly asleep. Then, at night, I'm super tired. I say my prayers, but have the time my mind wanders like crazy to random things. After a few minutes, I give up and end the prayer, not really sure what I just prayed for. So, I decided it was definitely time for a change. And, even in the past few days, my prayers have gotten a lot better. My morning prayers still need a wee bit more work, but my evening prayers have improved so much.

The reason for this change was my scripture study this week. Prayer ended up turning up quite a bit. I was reading in the beginning of Ether either Tuesday or Wednesday. The story of Jared and his brother and their families is one of my favorites concerning prayer. In Ether 1:34-39 the phrase "cry unto the Lord" is repeated 6 times. I love that phrase, because when I picture crying to the Lord, I don't picture just some half-hearted prayer. I picture completely focused, down on your knees, speaking to the Lord. It's like a plea. Or shouts of gratitude. Now, I'm not picturing like literal tears or actual shouting. But, think about it, if that's your attitude, then you will be completely focused in that prayer. You will be completely devoted to it. My prayers, they've been sort of like mumbles. Mumbles are pretty hard to understand.

One of the amazing things about prayer, is that you're talking to God. Really, you're talking to God. How great is that?! If God was in front of you, face to face, you wouldn't be speaking half-heartily to Him, would you? Well, make it the same thing. In my scriptures near the beginning of Ether, where I was reading, I have a quote written from seminary. And I love it lots.

"Prayer builds relationships with Heavenly Father for the next life."

When I read it, I was like "Oh, which general authority said that?" Then I looked closer, because I couldn't see the name. It said Alyssa Hundley 5/7/10. I think made me love the quote even more. There is such truth in that quote. Have you ever seen a friend that you hadn't seen in years, and it was kinda awkward. That happened to me. There was this one kid who was one of my best friends through elementary school. (Apparently I was his girlfriend in kindergarten. I don't know if that's true, because I don't really remember it. But it makes me feel like a rebel.) He ended up moving, so after 6th grade, I never saw. Then, one time at the Easter Pageant, I saw him...and it was awkward, because we hadn't talked in forever. Since 6th grade. I don't want that to happen when the time comes for me to meet Heavenly Father. We've met before. We had a pretty good relationship. But after so many years of not seeing Him, if my communication with Him is not what it needs to me, it will most definitely be an awkward meeting. I won't know Him that well. I don't want that to happen. I want to be able to run to Him, give Him a big hug, and act like we've never been apart. But that will only be possible if my prayers to Him are what they need to be.

I feel like - and I hope - that I'm on the right track with my prayers, now. They have become more focused, and I plan on making them more so. They're not so mumbly anymore. I feel more comfortable with my prayers. I feel like they have more power, because of the focus and the dedication.

Prayer is an amazing thing. It can make your life so much better. I know it! I definitely experienced it today. I was kind of having a crappy day, and was in a crappy mood, but I said a prayer and it all became better. There is great power in an honest, sincere, and heart-felt prayer. Heavenly Father will listen to you, no matter what. He will answer you. It may take a little time for that answer to come or for you to recognize it, but the answer will come. The power of prayer is a very real thing. I believe it, I know it, I've experienced. It's one of the greatest things ever that many people take for granted. That I took for granted. So, pray like you were face to face with God. Pray so that when you meet Him again, it will be a sweet reunion. So that when you look into His eyes, He will say, "Hey, I know you. Thanks for talking to me so often."

Large of stature

As I was reading in my scriptures a few days ago, I came across this lovely verse - it's Mormon speaking.

"Nothwithstanding I being young, was large in stature; therefore the people of Nephi appointed me that I should be their leader, or the leader of their armies." Mormon 2:1

Cool, no? What came to mind here was Nephi. You know, like how he always mentioned how he was young and large in stature and stuff. And it got me thinking about some of the people in the scriptures. Captain Moroni was 25 when he became chief captain. The stripling warriors were all young. It mentions the brother of Jared being a large and mighty man. Well, to be a large and mighty man, you've gotta be a large and mighty young man, right?

So, that started me thinking about the youth of the church - the rising generation and all. And not just the youth, but the younger adults, the newly weds/new parents. And being large in stature. Because, well, you all know how large in stature I am...just kidding. I'm average. (Don't fight me on this. I'm average. Don't you dare call me short.)

You all know how I'm gung-ho about the rising generation stuff. I love it. It places such a responsibility on us to do the right things, to be the right people. To be the right example, to try to raise kids in the right way. So what does the large in stature have to do with any of this? Well, what do Nephi, Captain Moroni, the stripling warriors, and Mormon have in common, other than accomplishing great things at a young age? Being spiritual giants. THAT'S where the large in stature come into play. Because if you watch someone talking about the Gospel or sharing their testimony, and they truly know what they're saying, and believe it with all their heart, it's like they grow a foot. You can't help but look up to them. As you share the spirit and share a testimony, you show conviction and confidence - even if you don't feel confident. And confident people seem to be tall. Because they stand tall.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say it, strive to be spiritual giants. You don't necessarily have to know the most, or share the most, or have read the Book of Mormon more than everyone. Be a spiritual giant by sharing your testimony. Be convincing. Use more than just words with your testimony. Live your testimony. Stand confident and strong, and don't be afraid to live or share what you know is true. Even the smallest people can be large in stature. Take my sister Amy for example. I'm taller than her. (You can go ahead and call her short, seeing as I'm average height, and she's shorter than me...Love you Amy!) But Amy is such a spiritual giant, and grows a foot - maybe two :) - when she shares that conviction.

Sooo...go be spiritual giants! And show everyone that the rising generation is going to take Satan down.

You are loved

Ok. Story time. And while this may seem like a really random, pointless story, there's a point to it, I promise. It may be unnecessary, but, hey, I like stories. So, this week, I ended up buying a lovely CD. "Awake" by Josh Groban. And it's about dang time I've bought that CD. A year or two ago, my sister came home from Flagstaff, talking about this fireside she went to. Because of it, she got ride of all her music that was illegally obtained. She made me feel guilty, so I did the same. We had done this purge before, but it wasn't as...complete as this one was. So, my music library has sadly been depleted for awhile now, since I've had no money except in the past six months, and the majority of that has gone to my small college fund. I've just barely begun to start building it back up. But, there's this one CD that's been in my house. "Awake." It was a burned copy, therefore, it should have left the house. Unfortunately, it was not mine, so it wasn't my call. Though I often begged to get rid of it. Why? Because Josh Groban's voice is incredibly dreamy. I might have fallen into temptation occasionally and listened to the CD...if Satan made all temptations with a Josh Groban voice, he would have me, hook, line, and sinker.

So, now getting to the point of my story, yesterday, I was listening to this CD, that I finally owned legally. I was listening to the song "You Are Loved," which, until recently (yesterday) was my second favorite song of the CD. Now it's my absolute favorite. (My absolute favorite was one that I put on my list Songs That My Husband Will Sing To Me.) While I was listening to "You Are Loved," the thought "You should put this on your blog," came to mind. I just kind of laughed. I figured I was just loving Josh Groban too much at the moment. But then the thought came "this is a song Jesus would sing." And then, I was curious. Random thoughts are pretty much a normal occurrence for me. But THAT random, not so much. I usually don't go contemplating what songs Jesus would sing. So, being curious, I decided to look at the lyrics and really listen to the song. And, to my discovery, the song is a song that Jesus would sing. If you, by some horrible circumstance, are unfamiliar with the song, here are the words:

"Don't give up
It's just the weight of the world
When your heart's heavy I
I will lift it for you

Don't give up
Because you want to be heard
If silence keeps you I
I will break it for you

Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you

Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up
Because you are loved

Don't give up
It's just the hurt that you hide
When you're lost inside I
I'll be there to find you

Don't give up
Because you want to burn bright
If darkness blinds you I
I will shine to guide you

Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you

Everybody needs to be loved
Don't give up
Because you are loved

Don't give up
It's just the weight of the world
Don't give up
Everybody needs to be loved
You are loved"

Mmm...just imagining Josh singing it is making me melt. But, the lyrics are gorgeous. Do you get what I mean that Jesus would sing this song? Maybe not literally. But the lyrics explain that the person singing will always be there for you. That person will always help you, light your way, be your strength. That person is urging you to keep going, to keep pressing on through life. Why? Because you're loved. I can't imagine a better song for Jesus Christ to sing.

Today in Sunday School, I was looking up a scripture, but then, another scripture, a few verses before the one I was looking for, caught my eye.

"Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the same that came unto mine own, and mine own received me not. I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not" Doctrine and Covenants 6:21.

In one part of the song, it talks about shining in the darkness. Jesus does little else better than shining in the darkness for us. There's so much darkness around us. It can be incredibly overwhelming. But, there will always be a constant light shining out for us.

I guess the point of this slightly random post, is to say, that you are loved. And never give up. Because Christ is always going to be there for us. And, I also want to say, strive to be that kind of friend to someone else. Try to be the kind of person, so that someone will be able to have that random thought, while listening to this song, that says "Oh, I can totally picture So-and-so singing this song."

Moral of the story: You are loved. Never, never forget it. :)

I stand all amazed

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,
That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!
Such mercy, such love, and devotion, can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

"I Stand All Amazed" hymn no. 193

We sang this hymn as out sacrament song on Sunday. Recently, this song has come to mean a lot to me. I've always loved it, but we sang it a few weeks ago, and it touched me in a way it never has before. It's what inspired my last poem. (Despite my three poems on here, I'm not a poem writer. I don't write them that often. My poems have to be inspired by something. Because of that, they're very special to me, and I usually don't show them to a whole lot of people. You guys are just lucky that I've decided to show the last three that I've written. (: ) So, singing it this Sunday, I remembered the same feelings, and felt some of the same feelings, that I felt that Sunday that I wrote the poem. And it definitely set the proper tone, leading to an amazing sacrament. And what happened during the sacrament was really sacred to me, really personal. I did think about sharing it, but then I decided that this is something I should keep to myself, for now. But, let's just say that 1: prayers are answered - not necessarily when we expect them. and 2: I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me. They most definitely love me, and all of you.

Well, the sacrament is awesome. Do me a favor? Read the sacrament prayers. See what they mean to you. Because as I've read them and sort of studied them, they've become to mean something different to me. The sacrament is a very special thing. I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to partake of it every Sunday.

Jesus Christ is my best friend. I love Him, and am so grateful for all that He did. Go back up and read the hymn again. Maybe you'll feel the same things I felt those few Sundays ago or last Sunday. It is so wonderful what He did for us. Just as the third verse says, I can never forget what He did. Just imagining the scars on His hands and feet bring tears to my eyes. And, one day, I will be able to thank Him in person. Face to face. I'll be able to kneel down, and kiss His once wounded hands and feet, and thank Him, and thank Him, and thank Him. Or, in reality, knowing me, just cry and cry and cry, not being able to say anything in coherent sounds. But He'll know what's in my heart all the same. And then, I'll stand. I'll stand all amazed.

How great and marvelous

Today, church was, in one simple word, wonderful. Sacrament meeting today was one of the most spiritual ones I've ever experienced. It's high council week, and my daddy was the high councilman speaking. :) But before him, the speaker was Annika Blake, a newly returned sister missionary. Like really new. She came home Friday. So she had that enthusiastic, I-love-the-Gospel spirit about her.

Ok, hold on, I need to go back a little bit. Yesterday, I went to a friend's baptism. Baptisms always make me happy, usually because it means I see lots of family. But convert baptisms make me happy in a different way. At the eight-year-olds' baptisms, you feel so proud of them. And they're excited. But this is something that they've grown up knowing would happen, expecting to happen, and a lot of them probably don't think twice about it until they're older. It's just a special day that they think is normal for every eight-year-old to have. But when someone is being baptized because they've searched for truth, they've yearned for it, sometimes even fighting for it, it's a slightly different experience. I actually have been thinking about that baptism - and, the Gospel, in general - a lot today. I'm really grateful I went to it, because I think that's went led me to the awesome sacrament meeting today.

The thing about a convert's baptism is that the Gospel, at one point in their lives, was new. A lot of times, I think members who were born in the church take a lot of it for granted. I remember in 6th grade, one of my friends was getting baptized, and he was so excited and talking about it at school. This one kids was surprised and asked "You're just barely getting baptized?" At first I was confused by this question. I forgot that in most churches - all? - people are baptized when they're babies. And so I guess it's a little foreign to them that people get baptized later. Even converts. How do they baptize converts in other churches? Huh.

Anyway, converts (I'm sorry, I hate using that word. We're all supposed to be converted to the Gospel, right? I just can't think of a different word. It also makes me feel like I'm labeling them or something.) have had to search. They've had to gain a testimony differently. At least, for me, I've pretty much had a testimony my entire life. I don't know if that's normal...granted, it's not like I've known everything since I was five. Nuh uh, I still don't know a lot. My testimony is still developing. Converts have had to start new, building on true principles they've been taught before, and erasing others that aren't true. And I know several people who have had to wait years for their baptism. Some have had to wait until they turn 18. Some, like my sister-in-law were able to be baptized before they were 18 because of their own little miracles. These people, persistent and steadfast, are people I admire. They continually do all that they can, whether baptized or not. They show a conviction and a faith, that proves to their Heavenly Father that they are willing to wait and willing to do whatever it takes.

So, I love baptisms and think converts are cool. Kay, now back to sacrament meeting. The actual sacrament part was...amazing. But that's another story. So, the talks. First off, I love Annika. She used to be my sister's best friend when they were younger. She's the sister to one of my sisters-in-law. So, though, we're not like buddy buddy, I know that's she's a pretty awesome girl. I remember, a few weeks before she was off on her mission, she ended up giving a lesson to my Sunday school class. She was like, "Um, so I don't have a lesson planned, since I was just asked to come in here and teach..." and then proceeded to give a fabulous lesson on faith. See! I even remember what her lesson was on! From that moment on, I knew she was bound to be a wonderful missionary.

So, she gave her talk. And it was amazing. It just drew me in. Now, forgive me, if you think I'm a horrible person, but I have a hard time paying attention in sacrament meeting, sometimes. I still listen to the talks and stuff, but a lot of the time I get distracted by the little kids and start playing peek-a-boo with them or making funny faces at them. But with her talk, it was like I couldn't take my attention away. There was such a strong spirit. And two things came to mind, so very strongly. One: I love this Gospel. And I know - I KNOW, not just think, not just believe, I know - that it's true. I've seen and experienced too many things to say anything different. Two: I want to be a missionary. So, so, so bad. I remember, when I was four or five, my primary teacher, Sister Scott, said she was going to go on a mission. At first I was confused. Since when did girls go on a mission? That's the boys' job! But then, I decided that girls going on missions was absolutely the coolest thing ever. From that moment on, I've wanted to go on a mission.

The past few years, I've been trying to be a missionary. A lot of times, I feel like I'm not really doing anything, like I'm not being very helpful. Like the things I do aren't really making a difference. But, then I look at the way I've grown. I look at how my testimony has developed. How I've been trying to be the best I can be. Maybe, just maybe, I'm doing something. Maybe I'm being an example for someone. But, I don't know. I really don't. I just hope, and keep trying to be a light and to be the best Beth I can be. I try to share the Gospel with my words and with my example. Why? Because there's nothing better than this Gospel. This great and marvelous work. I love it. Nothing brings me greater happiness. And I want others to have that happiness. It's just...it's great and marvelous.

If, once I'm done with this blog, you guys don't really take much away from it, I hope that you know that I have a testimony of this church. I hope that it has helped strengthen your testimony is some way. But, I know this church is true. I know Joseph Smith restored the Gospel and was a true prophet. I know the Book of Mormon is true. It's my favorite book ever! I know Thomas S. Monson is the true and living prophet, and leads and guides this Church under the direction of God. I know that Jesus Christ is my elder brother. He loves us, He suffered for us, and has made it possible for us to repent and be resurrected. There's no other person I want to be like. I know that families can be together forever. And the Gospel? Yeah, it's awesome. It's my favorite thing ever. The end. :)

Second chances

Ok, this is written by the lovely Shaylene Johnson. She didn't write her own intro, so I get to do it. :) I asked her to do this like...over a month ago. But, hey! I'm not complaining. She still got it to me! So, enjoy it. Because it's good.

Uhm…So my mom has a sister named Shirley. She was adopted by my grandma from a Navajo reservation. As a baby my Aunt Shirley was abused heavily by her alcoholic parents. They used to throw her across the rail road track, when they were drunk. Because of the abuse my aunt was labeled as disabled with a bad back. She can’t work. Anyway, so my aunt married a guy named Paul. They had two sons, and a daughter. Paul was an alcoholic and ended up in jail. Shirley was supported by the government and given money and some shenanigans. I don't really understand the whole process, but that’s what’s happening.

She lives in poverty. She and her kids have lived in crummy apartments all their lives…with roaches and the works. My grandparents and aunts and uncles- her adopted siblings- would send money also. Shirley can’t drive, and doesn't own a car. Her kids aren't old enough either. Anyway, her alcoholic now ex-husband is let out of jail during the day to find a job and returns to sleep at night. During the day he hangs out at her place though, and drinks or who knows what.

Because my mom is the only relative in the valley, she’s taken the responsibility to take care of her. She drives her around to buy groceries and pay bills and etc. Shirley’s oldest is named P.J. (Paul Junior.) He was supposed to graduate this year but failed school with only six credits. He’s now a drop out. Her daughter is named Shannon, she’s fifteen. Shannon is doing alright; she gets decent grades but doesn’t have the best friends. Her youngest is Brandon.

She’s been kicked out of five apartments due to the police being called from the kids inviting friends over and being loud. Multiple times she’s gone behind my mom’s back, against her trust, and done things she shouldn't be doing. She lies about going to church and the kids lie about going to mutual. They don’t tell my mom things that she, as their guardian, should know.

Shirley and her kids have been kicked out again. When my mother found out, she was in tears. I've never seen her cry so hard. They have till the end of July to move out. For the next two weeks we won’t be in town. It’ll be the only trip we take this year before my brother Nolan leaves on his mission. That leaves my mom one week to find Shirley an apartment, and move her. There’s a homeowners program that Shirley can take for a few weeks in order to buy a cheap house. That’s what my mom really wants to do for her. Get her and her kids a home close by, in our stake, and keep an eye on them. With this they’d be going to church and mutual and fixing up their lives. The kids will go to school with me and my brother and all will be fine and dandy.

Time is the problem. So my mom thought of a solution. Move Shirley and her kids in with us for a few weeks while they take the class, and either find a home or apartment. For the past weeks we’ve discussed it as a family. We have plenty of room, but not one of us want to do it. That would require sacrifice. Something we shouldn’t, but do, have a problem with.

Earlier this morning I woke up and could tell something was bothering my mom. I asked her what was wrong and she continued to express what was bothering her. She was more stressed than I’ve ever seen her before. She had brought the idea up of Shirley moving in for a few weeks again with my dad. He replied with a stern no. The possibility of them ruining our valuables downstairs was too much to risk.

Later that day when he got home I managed to get him alone. I told him I really thought Shirley should move in with us. It would only be for a few weeks and it’s our responsibility. He asked me why should we when we kids were such bad examples. I told him that Christ would do it for us, and we need to do it for her too. She’s family. As he walked out of the room he told me that we have taken Shirley in more than once. It was time for her to step up and act like a mother. Though he was right, as he always is, the situation stayed on my mind.

All this talk got me thinking tonight. I’ll agree with him when he says that we’re bad examples for her kids. I mean, we stay up all night watching movies and playing xbox. And I also agree that we’ve taken Shirley in multiple times. But really, how many times are we required? Christ has forgiven and continues to forgive us multiple times. He has taken us in his arms and let us know things will be ok. Isn’t that what we need to do for others too? Isn’t that why we’re here? To be examples of Christ, right?


My mom told me something that stuck in my head. She said, “We all say we’ll help out in situations, but when the situations actually happen, no body wants to lift a finger. Not even family.” I guess it’s just something I wanted to think about. How hard is it to sacrifice when the time comes to do so. I just hope something sparks in our hearts that gets us to act when things need our attention. We’re followers of Christ. We’re latter day examples.

As the rising generation we need to train ourselves to do that. We need to make it our responsibility to help someone who is in our need. We need to find that faith and trust in Christ and know that things will work out. By doing that, no questions asked, we will be blessed. Sometimes we have to go out of our way, climb onto a limb, and save someone else. We’re all here for a purpose.

“But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.” Sometimes we have to be those tender mercies for others. By doing so we will be delivered, we will be blessed.

I know this is true, I've witnessed it. Please pray for Shirley and her family, please pray for my mother. Everything will work itself out in the end. As a daughter of a strong mother, I know that.

My hope

Hope. It's one of those things that is kind of hard to explain. It's really simple, yet there's so much to it. It's almost complex in its simplicity. There have been several times where I've been like "Oh! Ok, I think I've got what hope is," and then someone asks me a question, or we have a lesson, and then I'm like "Just kidding. Now I'm lost." Well, right now, I've sort of got it. I think I've mostly got it, actually. And, really, it all comes down to that Mormonad up top. Christ. Now we have hope.

You see, Christ IS our hope. It's because of Christ that we can have a better future. It's because of Christ we can repent and be resurrected. If there was no Christ or no Atonement, well, we'd be kind of stuck in a sinful state for forever. Sounds fun, no? Well, I prefer the ability to change and progress. And that, my friends, is hope. Sorta one layer of it, at least. See, it's simple. Christ is hope. But then there's so much to it, so much that applies to it because of the simplicity, and that's what makes it complex. Make sense? Maybe? Kay, I'll pretend it does.

Ok, so I'm going to step back a wee bit, and share a scripture with you that I read yesterday. It's one that pretty much all of us know, but it's what kind of made me start thinking about all of this again. It's the scripture mastery, Helaman 5:12.

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that is it upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

Look at those words I bolded. When we build our foundation on Christ, we conquer Satan. He cannot overpower us. How hopeful is that?! I mean, really. Think about it. I see hope as, like seeing good in the future, seeing good in your life, looking towards something. Not like, "I hope that I marry [insert name here]." That's not real hope. That's more like wishful thinking. Hope is sort of like faith. There needs to be substance to what you're hoping for. Faith is not really faith, unless you have faith in something true. Like, I have faith the sun is going to rise tomorrow. Yeah, it's going to happen. But, there could be some freak chance that it doesn't What if it blew up? We never know, for a fact, that it will. We just have faith in it, because it has for, well, for forever. But you can't have faith in something like, "I have faith that I'm going to ace this chemistry test," when, you, in fact, have not studied, and you're awful in chemistry and can't remember what the heck the elements Au, Ag, or even H are. That's not true faith. Because faith is not passive. You would have had to study and work really hard, in order to call that faith. I think hope is similar. You can't hope you'll ace that test. That's just wishful thinking, my friend.

I've sort of mentioned this before: faith and hope are similar. Well, I guess similar is a poor choice of words. Intertwined, I guess is a better one. They are reliant on each other. In Ether 12:4 is says:

"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works being led to glorify God."

So, according to this scripture, when you have faith in God, then you gain a sure hope. And then in Ether 12:6, it says:

"I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen..."

So, when you hope in things, then you gain faith. So, you can't have hope without faith, and you can't have faith without hope. Otherwise, the one or the other is weak and hollow. But, when you hope in something - which hope ultimately comes from Christ, because Christ is our center, our rock and foundation - then you develop faith. And then, as that faith grows stronger, your hope with increase. And then it becomes an anchor. It's like super-awesome-firm-strong-cement that keeps you glued to your foundation.

There's one last scripture I'd like to share. And I'm going to share the story behind it. It's a letter - epistle, if you want to be all technical - from Mormon to Moroni. Things are just awful. The Nephites are super wicked. Like, disgustingly wicked. Like I-just-threw-up-in-my-mouth-that-disgusted-me-so-much wicked. Heavy stuff. If I was Moroni, I would have been like "Dad. Seriously, why the heck did you tell me this? I'm already depressed enough knowing that we're all going to die." But then Mormon adds these words to his letter.

"My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory of eternal life, rest in your mind forever" Moroni 9:25.

He told his son to be lifted up in Christ, no matter what. Look at everything He's done for us. We have no reason to be worried, or sad, or upset, or distressed about the future. Because, as long as we have faith - which is NOT passive, and requires action - and hope - which requires faith - then, then, we have nothing to fear. Christ has done it all. Christ has made a way. Be lifted up! See the great light and great goodness of Him. And have hope. Little else will bring you a greater joy.

When men shall stand free

Alright, so this is my little contribution to the Book of Beth. Yes, I am a complete nerd because I asked to be a part of Beth's amazing blog:] Some things have been going through my mind a lot...mostly about freedom and our country. I guess that makes sense since Independence Day was just a week ago. So this little shpeel will just be me, Sarah Merkley, and my thoughts about this amazing thing we call freedom.

I have often wondered what exactly it means to have 'freedom'. To us, as Americans, we connect it with the Revolutionary War; as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we think of freedom in connection with our pioneer ancestors and the Restoration of the gospel. Freedom means different things to different people. But to me, freedom is more than having the ability to make our own choices, as Mrs. Cotter said in Am History this past year. Yes, freedom is the ability to make our own choices, but it's more than that. Freedom is..well, being free. But what does that mean? Being free from..what? I truly believe that being free, or freedom, means exactly what our Founding Fathers said:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

I especially love the part where it says "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech,...". Do we take the fact that we have a freedom of speech from granted? Sometimes, I think we do. I know I do! There have been times in my life where I feel something so strongly and know it to be true that I have to speak my mind, write it down, tell my mom..something!...or I might explode! One such time is December 23, 2008. That is the day that I received my own witness of the truth of the Book of Mormon. I could have finished reading the Book the day before, but I wanted to save the last chapter for that day; December 23. I wanted to finish the Book of Mormon on that day because December 23, 1805, Joseph Smith, Jr. was born. He restored the gospel of Jesus Christ; the true church. I know this to be true with all my heart because I have read the Book of Mormon and prayed to know if it is true. The feeling that came over me was one of power and warmth confirming the gospel's truth.

A scripture found in Mosiah 29:32 says
"And now I desire that this inequality should be no more in this land, especially among this my people; but I desire that this land be a land of liberty, and every man may enjoy his rights and privileges alike, so long as the Lord sees fit that we may live and inherit the land, yea, even as long as any of our posterity remains upon the face of the land."
Now, allow me to clarify something. Our government has said that some things they're proposing and passing (like Health Care) is a right given to us from them. They, the government, do not have the RIGHT to give us rights. They can give us privileges, but not rights; that's our Lord's job. In the Declaration of Independence it says: "that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,..." We are given rights through out Creator; not our government. We have all quoted this part of the Declaration at least once in our lives. But what most people don't know and don't read is the part right after this.
"That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."

I strongly believe that this time is coming. We need to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ and hold fast to that which is true.

I have the blessed opportunity to have my dad be my Sunday School teacher. Today, we were talking about Psalms and how that was the hymnal for King David. At the end of the lesson, my dad quoting one of our hymns from the Church, but he quoted a verse we don't usually sing. Let's see if you know which song it is..

"Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with that vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust!"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"

I know the last two lines probably gave it away, but this is a part of our National Anthem. Why don't we sing this verse? Or even the second? Think about that the next time you hear or sing 'The Star-Spangled Banner'. Think about the countless number of lives that were lost for your freedom. Think about what freedom really means. Think about how lucky we are to live in a country that is free! To stay free, we must follow the rules laid out for us by our Founding Fathers. Remember that "When Free Men Shall Stand" is when we truly become united states.

"Freedom- It doesn't give the right to interfere by force or fraud-
Freedom- It is not reserved for those who say they're serving God!
Freedom.......The very word, and all the word implies
Does not assume the one that's free is good or pure or wise!
Liberty is for the brave and strong, the weak and coward too,
And rich and poor alike, the fainthearted and the true-
All can huddle underneath the banner bought and paid for by our blood
All are free to make a choice to live, be it bad or be it good-
It's freedom."
Norma Jean Almodovar- April, 1986

Thank you, Beth for letting me say my two bits to put in your blog!

*This is a little disclaimer from Beth. There's a little spot mentioned that I realize may have the potential to offend people. But that was not Sarah's intent. She wasn't making some political statement. She was just sharing something that she felt to be true. So don't get offended and go off saying Beth and Sarah are trying to corrupt you with politics or change your stance on certain issues and stuff. That is never the intent of this blog. The intent is to share insights received and try to make it possible for you to feel the spirit so you, in turn, might learn something. Just wanted to clarify. :) Ya did a good job Sarah.

The role of music in my life

Well, I'm done! Not like officially, or anything. But I finished my last value, and all I have left is to do the write up thing for this project and get and interview with my bishop. Oh, and figure out who to pass this off to. I really am having the hardest time deciding. I have like a bajillion names in my head of people who I think would do a really good job with this blog. And then there's a part of me that wants to keep it - my dad keeps trying to convince me I should. But I started out with the intent of giving this blog to someone else, so I intend to do that. So, until I figure out who to give it to, I will still be making posts. In fact, I may be making many posts in a short period of time, because there's at least three posts that I want to do right now, and who knows what else I'll end up feeling like doing. And then, who knows when I'll figure out who this blog should go to. So, this week may be my last week - but it may no be. We'll just see what happens.

So. Music. We all know it's like my favorite thing on Earth. I love to sing. I love to play the piano. I love to pretend like I can play the guitar. I love to listen to music. I love to pick out different instruments, different voice parts, and hear how each different thing blends together to make one big thing of beautifulness.

Today I ended up going to my mom's sunday school class. She teaches the adults. I was there to play the piano as a special request. (It was kind of MY special request. My mom said she needed someone to play the piano, and I wanted to hear her teach a lesson. Especially THIS lesson.) So, unless you're behind on the lessons, like my real class, then you would have had the lesson on Psalms. Psalms is more than just poems. They're songs! Wonderful, wonderful songs. And as my mom started planning for this lesson, I started thinking about what music has done for me. Well, I guess I had been thinking about it a little bit before, but definitely more intensely this past week. Because, for me, music goes beyond the words, the melody, the instruments, and the harmonies. Music is my teacher. Music is my expression. Music is my testimony. Music is in my very heart and soul.

As I've been thinking about this, I started noticing a pattern. Many of the songs I grew up listening to, whether primary songs or church choir songs my family would sing have become my testimony. If that makes sense. They've become how I feel. I think I've started noticing that now because of the way my testimony has been changing, developing, and strengthening in a way it never has before. The choir song "Oh That I Were an Angel" based on Alma 29:1. I feel like Alma, sometimes. I would love to be able to proclaim, to everyone, the Gospel. To proclaim it in a way that people could not deny it. The choir song "Make Us One." I have a very, very strong testimony on unity. On the need for it, and the importance of it. The lines "Take from me this heart of stone, and make it flesh, even as thine own. Take from me unfeeling pride. Teach me compassion, cast my fear aside." These speak to me very strongly. I've learned a lot about the heart, and the role it plays with the spirit and with your testimony. Pride cannot dwell in a place where unity is. Pride destroys unity. There's another song, "When He Comes Again" that, just today, I've noticed its impact. But I'm going to save that for the end.

And then there are songs that have made their impact just in the past couple years. "Daughter of a King" has been hugely important. I've never been more secure in who I am and in my role and purpose. And a lot of it has to do with this song and what it taught me. The choir song "There is a Hill" has done so much for my testimony of the Savior. Each and every word in there echos my testimony.

I really could go on and on. But these songs seem to have embedded their words into my very heart, into my very life. I can't really explain it. But I'm positive that my testimony would not be the same without the amazing power of these songs.

So, "When He Comes Again." There's a reason why I've saved it for last. Sort of because it was mentioned in a talk today, and it just kind of hit me. And sort of because the lines that were shared in the talk - the lines that mean the most to me - were lines that seemed to...to resonate in me, if that makes sense. I don't know if it does, I feel like I'm not explaining it well. But it's about something that I have recently started thinking about. My last poem was inspired by these thoughts and desires.

When I was eleven, for the last primary program I would be a part of, I was asked to sing "When He Comes Again." I was a wee bit intimidated. Ward boundaries had just recently been changed, and I was in a ward that I knew very little people. I wasn't quite as enthusiastic about singing as I was now. Singing was reserved for sharing time and for singing silly songs at home. Not for singing in front of a bunch of people I didn't know. Especially when I was supposed to sing both verses, when I only knew the first one. I didn't even know there was a second verse! But the second verse quickly became my favorite as I learned it. And I feel like that, maybe, singing that second verse opened and prepared my heart for what I would learn this year. Singing that verse almost 6 years ago helped me do some changing this year.

"I wonder when He comes again, will I be ready there? To look upon His loving face, and join with Him in prayer? Each day I try to do His will and let my light so shine that others seeing me may seek for greater light divine. Then when that blessed day will come, He'll love me and He'll say, 'You've served me well, my little child. Come into my arms to stay.'"

I have been pondering on the day the Savior will return. What will happen to me? Will I be ready? Will I be able to look in His face and see joy, the same joy that I might be feeling? What will I say? I actually don't know if I'll be able to say anything. I have a hard enough time speaking. I stutter, and often times the words that come out of my mouth come out way wrong and end up not being what was in my head. And I have a harder time when I get emotional. And let me tell you, there will be lots of emotion flowing through me that day. Speak, no, I probably won't be able to say anything. But, if I was to do anything, I imagine that I might sing. Perhaps, music would come from my very heart, words that I could never seem to say, come out in beautiful song, with a wonderful spirit and expressing what mere words can never do. But then again, maybe all that will happen is that I'll cry and not be able to do anything else. But, regardless, He'll hear all that I want to sing or say. And hopefully, He'll be able to say that He's pleased with me. I don't think there's words I want to hear more.

I love music. There's a spirit you can feel with music that you can't feel at any other time. You know, there have been multiple times that I have heard, or, I guess feel would be a better word, angels singing. I know music is important to the Lord. It makes me happy to know that I can do at least this one thing for Him. I can sing or play the piano, use my talents for Him. Whether you like music or not, whether or not music is your thing, just know that music, it can do amazing things. Music can invite the spirit, it can teach you. Music is a way of praising God. It's a service to Him. So, if there's one thing I hope you do now, it's at least sing the hymns. I know I've said it in a previous post, but the hymns are a way of giving praises to God. He loves it. At least sing the hymns in church. You'll blessed for it, I promise! :)

I don't care what you say, she's my hero.

When I die, or when the Second Coming/Resurrection happens, or whenever there's a chance that I get to meet people who have past on before, there's one person that I really want to meet. Like before everyone else. Well, not EVERYONE else. There's people like, you know, Christ, and Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother that I want to be the first people I meet, but this person is right up there on the list. She's before Captain Moroni, the brother of Jared, Alma, Ammon, Nephi, all those great Book of Mormon heroes. And although, this is a pretty random subject to write about, it's one, from the very beginning, that I've wanted to do, I just never knew when to do it. So, since I'm almost finished with my Personal Progress, so, therefore, with this blog, I felt like I should go ahead and just do it. The person that I want to meet most, is this lady right here:



I guess maybe if you don't know this story, you won't know who this is. This is Emma Smith. There is much controversy about her. And, honestly, I kind of want to give some of the people who talk bad about Emma a good smack. (Maybe not the most Christlike desire, I know.) She is often compared to Mary Fielding Smith. She was another great lady, the wife of Hyrum Smith. Mary went West with the saints, and Emma stayed. People are often hard on Emma because of this. The way I see it, who are we to judge Emma? How can we forget the many great and wonderful things Emma did? Emma truly had such great faith, such great courage. Such great integrity. Is it weird to say you love someone you have never met, who lived over one hundred years before? Because I love Emma. I truly do. Let me share the story of the picture I have here.

Joseph was in Liberty Jail. The saints were being driven from Missouri to Illinois. Emma had to leave also, leaving Joseph there in Missouri, in the awful prison. In the middle of winter - and where they were, winter isn't like how it is here in Arizona. It snows there. A lot. Rivers freeze there. It was crazy cold. So Emma came to a river. The man that was traveling with her, to protect her and her kids and take care of the wagon and supplies and stuff, wasn't sure what to do. They were unsure if the ice was thick enough to cross over safely. Emma knew she needed to get to Illinois as quickly as possible. So, with a prayer in her heart, she decided to cross the ice. And this river wasn't just like ten feet wide. It was really, really wide. At this time, she was hiding manuscripts under her skirts. She was carrying two kids in her arms, and two other kids were walking beside her, hanging onto her. I don't do this story justice. But Emma, at this time, shows incredible faith.

In Doctrine and Covenants, section 25, the Lord, through Joseph, gives revelation directly to and for Emma. Not only did He express His love for music at this time and asked her to comprise a hymn book, but He also calls her an elect lady. The Lord knows all. So, knowing the things that would happen, that Emma would do, would He call Emma an elect lady if she were not worthy of it or would do something that would make her unworthy of it? I don't really think so.

I don't even know if I can explain just why I feel this way about Emma. But, if you read anything about Joseph Smith, you will read about his love for Emma. Do you think the Lord would have led Joseph to marry a woman if she wasn't worthy? To be the wife of such a great man, must mean that she, herself, was a great woman. I really don't know where my love for Emma came from. She truly is my hero, despite what people say about her. Tell me where you hear of her forsaking her testimony of the church, of the Book of Mormon, of Jesus Christ. Yes, she didn't go with the saints. But neither did Joseph's mother. Neither did other saints. Emma had been through so much. Time, and time again, she saw loved ones ripped from her arms, whether is was Joseph being taken by wicked men, or her children dying. Yes, she stayed. But who are we to judge? Who are we to state the reason why she stayed? Who are we to say that she lost her greatness? I'm convinced she is ensured a place in the one of the topmost spots of the Celestial Kingdom, right alongside Joseph. In fact, I want to say there was a prophet or a general authority who said that, but I'm not quite sure if that's true, so I don't want to state it as fact. But Joseph did say that he would walk through hell barefoot for a woman like her. And her last words, spoken with her dying breath was "Joseph, I'm coming," showing her devotion to him, to the end of her days.

So, say what you want about her, you won't change my mind. But hopefully, I might have changed yours, or perhaps made you think. Emma Hale Smith, who gave up her family to be with Joseph and become a part of the Church, who put together our first hymnbook, who was the first Relief Society president, who time and time again show great faith and courage, is my hero. I admire her. She truly was an elect lady. I want to be like her. I want to have her integrity, her strength, her determination. And, I look forward to the day where I will be able to meet her, and thank her for her example to me. Maybe we'll be best friends!

God bless America!

234 years ago today, the Declaration of Independence was ratified. And the United States of America was born. On that day, I'm sure angels up in heaven cheered. The events that led up to that day were led by God. Many men we being instruments in God's hand at that time. Today is a day that I have come to love and honor. Why? Well, on the 4th of July last year, I had a certain eye opening experience.

So, of course, like any other summer day was hot. Super, ridiculously hot. My ward does flags for a fundraiser, like lots of other wards/stakes. The young man get up early to put them out, and then the young women take them down. Almost every single time we go to take them down, my family is starting our BBQ. So, last year, I wasn't really feeling very patriotic. Basically, I was resentful. I was missing dinner, going out into the super hot heat to take these flags down, and when I would get home, I'd be all hot and sweaty and have no appetite and wouldn't be able to eat anything. And that's how my 4th of July went down. I got over my grumpiness and hung out with my family. Then, that night, as I read my scriptures, I happened to be reading in Ether chapter 2. And then I remembered why it was this country was so great.

"9 And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess is shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them...For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off...Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heave, if they will but serve the God of the land..."

The Jaredites were led to the Americas by God. The Nephites were led to the Americas by God. Both of them did a great work here. They helped lay the foundation for what would go on here. Don't think so? Keep reading. The Pilgrims were led here - by God! I have a great-great-lots more greats-uncle who came across. They were looking for freedom. And then what happened because of the Pilgrims? Well, more and more people came. Colonies were formed. And then, that blessed day happened. July 4th, 1776. The people demanded freedom. They demanded it as their God-given right. And it is God given. And then, because of all that, a young man of 14 had the right to go into a grove a trees, kneel, and say a humble prayer. Joseph Smith, that young boy, then helped restore this wonderful church. And he translated the Book of Mormon - which is about the Nephites and the Jaredites.

In the Declaration of Independence, it states that one of the God-given rights of man is the pursuit of happiness. And just how do I pursue my happiness? By being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. By living the commandments and the teachings we are given. I love it. I love my freedoms and my rights as a citizen of the United States. And because of this great country, this church could be restored, and now we are sharing it with others.

There are no words that can express how I feel about this country. Yes, we have problems. We are imperfect, of course. But, nevertheless, this land is set apart by God. He blessed this land. I feel so lucky to be able to live here. Because it truly is a choice land, a promised land, a blessed land. So all I can do is stand up, put my hand over my heart, look at this magnificent flag, and say:



I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, for liberty, and justice for all.

God bless America! It truly is a wonderful place to live. Happy Independence Day.

The Book of Mormon is BOM! (Get it? It's punny...)

So, I kind of love these Mormonad things. My mom was going through some old church magazines about a week ago, and pulled out a page of like twelve of them. I think I want to have one for each post now. But I guess we'll just see. But this one made me especially happy.

I love me some Book of Mormon. I try to read it first thing when I get up. Some times that doesn't work out, like if I'm babysitting nieces and nephews or something. And during the school year, I usually end up doing it in the evening, before I start my homework. And the reason why this particular Mormonad stuck out to me, is because I have begun to think of it as just that. As treasure. As of yesterday, I was halfway through the Book of Mormon. I had started rereading it a few days before school ended. I'm not trying to brag, but this was an accomplishment that made me very happy. The Book of Mormon has become increasingly important in my life. I pretty much have always read it. It's just been a habit of mine, started probably because I used to be a way early morning person, and because we had family prayers at 5:30 in the morning. So I would wake up at 5:00 to read my scriptures. I was a crazy child. But then, I was just reading because I knew we were supposed to be reading the scriptures. Yeah, I knew they were true, but I never was like "Yay! Time to read my Book of Mormon!" And it's really only been in like the past year or so that I've gotten like that. But my solid testimony of the scriptures, especially of the Book of Mormon - like more than just knowing they were true, but experiencing their power and spirit and stuff - began during the summer before my 9th grade year.

I had done my scripture reading for the day, and it was bedtime. I said my prayers. And this particular night, I had a question. I was asking for help, because something happened, and I had no clue what to do. I was stuck, because I felt like I had done what I was supposed to, but it didn't work out the way I wanted. So, I asked for help, ended my prayer, and crawled into bed. As I was laying there, I got the impression that I should read my scriptures. At first I was like "What? No, that's silly. I already read my scriptures. I'm in bed, the light is out. I'm tired. Why would I do that?" Despite this, I found myself getting up. I turned on the light and opened my scriptures. I had no clue where to look, so I decided I would go to the story of the stripling warriors, because it's my favorite. I ended up passing it, so I was about to start flipping back towards it, but then I stopped. The reason why I had ended up going to that page was because I had a glue-in at that page, and it sort of opened up automatically at that spot. I read the glue-in and I got goosebumps. I read the verse that went with it. There was my answer, looking me in the face. Simply because I flipped too far. And that was the start.

Ever since then, I've grown very fond of my scriptures. Of course, I'm not perfect and have slacked several times. In fact, I think this might be the first summer ever that I've been reading every single day. Let's hope I didn't just jinx myself. But, they really have become a treasure to me. Because of how they have helped me. One time at a mutual, some guest speaker person said something like "The scriptures are written in the spirit's language. The more you read the scriptures, the easier it will be for you to understand the spirit." And I can testify to you of that truth. Because the spirit has become a bigger part of my life, as I've striven to read the Book of Mormon each and everyday. And not just read, but study. I keep a scripture journal by me as I read, and I try to write something down every day. Even if it's just a couple of lines. Because I know that revelation can be received through the words of the scriptures, and the words of the prophets, both ancient and modern.

Another reason why the scriptures have become my most precious treasure, is because they have brought me closer to Christ. After all, what are the scriptures? Testaments of Christ, right? On the cover of the Book of Mormon it says "Another testament of Jesus Christ." Each and every verse in there testifies of Christ, of His role in our lives, of His sacrifice, of His love. It truly is amazing.

So, moral of the story: Uncover some glorious buried treasure. Read some Book of Mormon, and uncover riches like you have never seen. Or, I guess felt, read, and learned would be better words. You can learn so much from reading every day. From studying everyday. Make a habit of it. Better now, during the summer, when you don't have crazy stress and crazy schedule to distract you. Better now when you're young, when you can make a habit of it, so you'll do it when you are even more busy, are married, or going to college, or have kids. If you don't read now, I would whole-heartily recommend reading it. If you don't have a testimony, I would plead to you to strive to gain one. Because you don't know what you're missing out on. And if you do read, and you do have a testimony, you're my hero. I love you guys! Thanks for reading.

Making progress

So today I sat down and did some Personal Progress. I've been meaning to do it for a while, but on Sundays all my good intentions fade away as I unintentionally take three hour naps. But, today, I decided I would go and do it before I even thought about sitting down on the couch of drowsiness. And...it was kind of awesome. As you all know - or, maybe you don't - my last few experiences are from the value integrity. As I've been doing this blog and studying what integrity exactly is, I've grown a great love for the word. I know, it sounds kind of nerdy, but that's ok. Because as I was finishing up some experiences, and started my last one (my LAST one! You have no idea how much that excites me!) I just felt so incredibly happy. It was just...satisfying, I guess would be a good word, to be learning about integrity, what it means and what it takes to be living a life of integrity.

Writing in my Personal Progress journal, I was reminded of how closely related integrity and virtue are. They aren't one and the same, but if you're living a life of integrity, you'll be virtuous, and vice versa. It's like faith and hope. The heart and the mind. The spirit and the scriptures. They're intertwined and almost necessary to each other.

Another thing I started thinking about as I was writing in that journal, was the changes I have been making in the past year or so. Especially since around, maybe November or December. You see, I've always been a good kid. Never really had a whole lot of problems. Pretty obedient, and did what I was supposed to. But, now, it's been like I WANT to be better. I WANT to be the best I can be. It's not just because it's what I'm supposed to do, how I'm supposed to live. It's because I have that desire. And, of course, there's times I slack. I choose some selfish things, or worldly things, over the better things. But I try not to. It's really the only reason why I feel comfortable doing this blog, if that makes sense. Because I don't want to feel like I'm bragging. I don't want this to be a show of how much I know, how good I am. Because I could name off a whole list of people who know more than me, who try harder than me, who have progressed more than me, who have changed more than me. But, I feel comfortable doing this because I'm striving to be the best I can be. And this blog is probably helping me a lot more than it's helping any of you. It helps me think things through. Pick details out instead of looking at things just generally. I'm learning how to better apply things to my own life. I'm learning the importance of integrity, and why I should be living it in my life.

In my scripture study recently, I've come across several instances where people have had a change of heart, and then because of that change of heart have gone and striven to share their experience, share the Gospel. People like Alma, both the elder and the younger, Ammon and the other sons of Mosiah, Amulek and Zeezrom, King Lamoni. And then, a week or so ago, my brother and my mom had a discussion about the Atonement. And how, if you really, truly understand it. If you've really applied it into your life, understand what Christ went through, and understand how personal it is for each and every person, then nothing is ever, ever going to stop you from sharing it. People may not listen to you, but you will have the desire to share. And you will share. People who have had that change of heart understand the Atonement so much better than others. And they're the ones who do all they can to give such great knowledge and upliftment to everyone around them. I feel like that's what I'm doing. Not because I'm awesome and know a whole lot and think you all should listen to be. It's because I've felt my heart changing. I've felt my life changing. I've been making an effort to strive to become the best I can be, to continue to improve. To have integrity and virtue, to be an example. So I want all of you to understand the things that I've learned. Because those things are awesome. They make me so happy, like nothing else can. Every time I open my scriptures, and truly study them and want to learn, I get so excited. Today, sitting down, and talking about integrity filled me with joy. And I want to share than joy with others! It's the best thing ever!

I feel like I've been all over the place with this post. But, hopefully, it all makes sense to you. Hopefully my words made it possible for the spirit to enter into your heart and testify to you. Because nothing I ever say or type is worth anything, unless the spirit is there. I'm merely an instrument in the Lord's hand, and I'm trying to let Him guide me in the way He wants. I don't know whether I'm a screwdriver or a saw, but he does, and He will use me accordingly, as long as I let Him. I just want you guys to know that I know there is no greater happiness, no greater joy, than the joy and happiness you receive from living the Gospel, and from sharing it with others. If you truly search the scriptures and desire the spirit to teach, you'll get to be a nerd like me, and get excited to read the scriptures. And it's the best thing ever. The Gospel is awesome. It makes me want to be the best I can be. It makes me want to continue to be better, to reach my full potential. I never want to just stop, to just say, "Oh, I'm doing pretty good. I think I'm worthy." No, I want to keep going, to keep making progress, to keep pushing myself a step forward, so that I will be able to look, with joy, and little or no regret, into the eyes of my Savior. I yearn for that day. And I hope I won't disappoint myself or Him.

Learn of me

I know this is probably really disappointing to hear, but this is not Beth. My name is Holly.. Beth is one of my really good friends and I am seriously so excited/honored that she asked me to do a post on her blog. Big shoes to fill, I tell ya. When Beth asked me to do this, I am not going to lie, I felt pretty inadequate. But with the help of my Heavenly Father I was able to have an amazing experience {yet really simple} experience that helped me to feel better about what I was about to do.

This morning I was in need of a little bit of spiritual TLC. I had been super sick for the past 24 hours and just wasn't feeling very up to anything- physically, mentally, and especially spiritually. Unfortunately, my illness/insanity had prevented {tempted &succeeded} me from reading my scriptures and keeping His spirit with me. I felt pretty down in the dumps- which is not like me. So I did what I needed to do and got down on my knees. I prayed with real intent and an honest, humble heart and attitude. I thanked my Heavenly Father for the things I have, the people in my life, and the blessings that he has laid upon me. I asked Him to help me feel his love and to help me heal. But the one thing I prayed for that was a reminder to me of His love- was for Him to help me overcome my temptations. And boy.. my prayers were answered. I immediately felt overcome with the spirit and I knew that He loved me. I felt invincible- like no earthly power could tear me down. My faith was turned into knowledge and a humble testimony.

Everyone has temptations and trials. Some seem bigger and harder, but in the eyes of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ they are all equally important. It is hard to define someone's trials, just as it is hard to define a person. As each son and daughter of heavenly parents is unique, has a unique story, unique past, present, future, and unique views on life, each of them has trials that are unique to themselves. Everyone is tempted to their maximum and is put through times unimaginable. Life is hard.

But we don't have to do it on our own! Isn't it great that we have someone on our side 100% of the time, that is 100% willing, and loves us 100%, no matter what? I think so, and I am so grateful for it. Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us so much that we are able to confide in him, talk with him, feel his love and spirit, and always rely on HIS example and gospel. He provides a place for us to feel comforted, loved, safe, calm, and happy.. all the time. You know where this place is? This place is in his son, Jesus Christ's, footsteps.

When we are following Christ and doing our best to be like Him, we are doing what our Heavenly Father wants and needs us to do. We are being who he wants and needs us to be. When we keep his commandments and are being Christlike, we can feel all of these things! Sometimes it is really, really hard to be everything that we should be. But if we are on the Lord's side, and if we ask Him to, He will help us to succeed. He wants us to succeed. He loves us enough to provide his mercy in order to perfect us, which is such a wonderful blessing that we are able to have! All we have to do is to let go of the world and walk in His direction.

Heavenly Father loves me. He loves you, He loves your family, your friends, your enemies, and everyone else, too. We will feel safe, happy, calm, fearless, LOVED, and comforted.. if we simply submit our lives to Heavenly Father and his teachings. I know this for a FACT and I am grateful for it every day as I work my way through my weaknesses, shortcomings, and trials.

Just to sum this all up.. I'd like to share one of my favorite scriptures...D&C 19:23

"Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my spirit, and you shall have peace in me."

Basically...I know awesome people.

It's that time again! Yay! Ok, so remember how I said I was going to do two of the people I see with integrity? Well, it's time for the second one. And I'm just going straight to it. I'm going to be talking about the wonderful Audrey Warren.



Yes, the picture is slanted. That's because Colton Pitcher took that picture...haha but I kinda like it this way. But, Audrey. She's just so, so, so wonderful. She's in my lovely stake, so I've had the privilege to get to know her pretty well. And Audrey, well, she's just a rock. Like, there's no other word I can think to describe it. Because she's just so steadfast and true and, just rockish. Make sense? Ha probably not. Well, let me elaborate. Let's go back a few years.

So, I was a wee beehive, 12 or 13 years old. It was stake softball. My ABSOLUTE favorite. I was all gung-ho, and convinced that Lazona ward was going to cream every single team we played. Which we did, but that's beside the point. :) You see, I'm wee bit competitive...well more than a wee bit. But now, I've gotten to the point that I'm chill about it, and I'm just all about the fun - though I do love me a good win. Anyways, I was way enthusiastic and confident and just wanted to wipe the floor with everyone. Then I noticed little Miss Audrey. She was all calm and chill, having fun, but not getting all "RAWR" over the game. She was making sure she was playing fair and making sure everyone was having fun. She wasn't about the win. She was about the teams. Not just team, TEAMS. Emphasis on the 's'. So, although she probably had no clue that anybody noticed that, or was even aware she was doing it, it's just been one of her great examples to me. It shows how she's willing to be true - by playing fair and keeping cool about the game. Which I think shows great integrity. Because part of integrity is progressing and being the best you, right? So, she didn't let the game get her all upset, like it does for some people. She let her best self shine through, through it all.

Another thing I admire about Audrey is her patience, kindness, and love towards others. You see, another thing about integrity is living what you believe. Living your standards, living your testimony, if that makes sense. And, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we take upon ourselves the name of Christ. So we are trying to be as Christlike as possible. Audrey is one of the most Christlike people I have ever met, and the three characteristics I listed above are just small examples of it. I see those three things in the way she treats people. She gives her time to those around her, showing her patience. And she's a friend to everyone around her. She's so willing to serve in any way she can. If anyone needs a friend, she's there.

Ah, there's just so much I could write about Audrey. She's just a rock solid girl. And I know that is because she has set her foundation on the greatest rock there is: Jesus Christ. She has set her life to follow His pattern, making her a rock in the lives of people around her. Making her a rock in my own life. Audrey, you are such a special girl, I hope you know that. Keep living your life the way you are. You are full of integrity and full of virtue. And because of that, you have become a great light in the lives of many people. I know that you definitely down the right path, the straight and narrow, and are well on your way to meeting your Savior. You are so wonderful Audrey! Love ya!

Ok, random change of gears. There's something I want to share from my scripture study today. It's one of those glue-ins you get at Girls Camp and seminary and stuff. For some reason this quote struck me with great force.

"Simply stated, testimony - real testimony, born of the spirit and confirmed by the Holy Ghost changes lives. It changes how you think and what you do. It changes what you say. It affects every priority you set and every choice you make. To have a real and abiding testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to be 'spiritually...born of God,' to 'receive his image in your countenances,' and to experience a 'mighty change in your hearts.'"

When I read this quote - it goes along with Alma 5:14 - it was just like BAM! I don't really know why. But it was something...like something I couldn't deny. I truly have seen this, experienced it and know it to be true. This past year, as I've been striving to continue to improve, to figure out just how I can be the best I can, I've noticed how my testimony and how the Spirit has helped guide my decisions and my actions. I've also seen the changes people have been making, because of increase testimony, and in increase of spirit in their lives, both in my family and in my friends. I know this quote to be true. And that's why this Gospel is so important. It changes lives. And the minute you stop living it, or take it away, you can immediately revert back to your old ways. It all goes back to the Mosiah 3:19. The natural man. It's something we will constantly have to fight against. And that's why this change of heart is so important. That's why a testimony is so important. It's what motivates you. Then, in the end, if you've kept that changed heart, if you've lived your testimony, the Savior will be able to look in your eyes, and see Himself in them. Just as He would see Himself in perfectly refined silver.