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."