Keep Going

A theme that I have noticed more and more in General Conference and devotionals as the years have gone on, is the need to be steadfast and endure. As the world gets crazier, it is harder to stay strong. We are easily swayed and doubt is easily placed when we are not doing everything we could and should be doing in the Gospel. I'm no different. I struggle. I have a hard time making the right choice sometimes. However, I know that is a whole lot easier to make the right choice when I have been doing the right things.

In the readings for class this week, we read the book of Galatians. While I was reading, one verse jumped out at me. It is along the lines of what I was just talking about. Galatians 5:1, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

I love this verse! It is such a great reminder that Christ suffered everything for us to let us be able to choose. He fought for our agency. We should remember that, be grateful for that, and be inspired to be better by that. I love how at the end it calls to us to not get twisted up in the things that hold us back from progressing in the gospel. We must keep moving forward, towards Christ and our Heavenly Home, and we will be blessed.

We Are All Wanderers

In my personal reading this week, I got to read one of the classic missionary chapters that everyone knows and loves, Alma 26. If ever there were a chapter in the Book of Mormon that was made to just be a pep-talk to missionaries, it would be this chapter. However, after all the talk of serving those who are hard to serve, boasting in the glory of God, and talk of sheaves, the last two verses have always been my personal favorites. In these verses, Alma is still speaking on those main themes of the chapter, but he uses two phrases that always jump out at me and make me feel so loved. He says....

"...blessed be the name of my God,

who has been mindful of us,wanderers in a strange land.

Now my bretheren, we see that God is mindful of every people,

whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth

his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth..."

I just find so much comfort in these verses. God isn't mindful of one person or group of people more than anyone else. He is mindful of you, wherever you are, even if you feel lost. He keeps an eye on the wanderers and he numbereth his people, he knows each one of them. The best part, his mercy is extended to ALL. 

No matter who you are, or what you have done, his mercy is great enough to make you better. He wants nothing more than to have his children home with him again. Remember that. 

God is good, my friends. He knows what he is doing. He knows you. 

Spread the Word!`

As I was driving back from Draper today, I was listening to General Conference on the radio, As I was enjoying the talks, one of the speakers used one of my favorite scriptures in his talk. It brought back floods of memories from my mission, where I originally found this scripture. The scripture is found in 1 Peter 3:15. It says, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."
This scripture makes me feel so determined and excited to be different from the world. We are different, and that is a very good thing. As we live the gospel daily, we shine a light that the world notices. I have had experiences in my life where people have come up to me and said something about a light either as a compliment or a question. This scripture gives us the direction that we need to be ready for when people do this to us. We need to be ready and have an answer for them!
Don't be afraid of questions, don't be afraid to be different.
This gospel is great.

My Favorite Scripture

This week, while I was doing my daily reading in the Book of Mormon, I stumbled on a scripture that just makes me smile every time I read it. It truly is my favorite scripture. It comes from Alma chapter 18 where Ammon is teaching King Lamoni about God, who He is and what He does. When explaining to King Lamoni, someone who has never heard of God, who He is, Ammon said,

"He looketh down upon all the children of men;

and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart;

for by his hand were they all created from the beginning."

Ugh, it's so beautiful. In one statement, Ammon teaches King Lamoni that someone knows and understands him perfectly, and not only that, He also created him. This scripture brought me so much comfort when I was in high school and I was struggling with finding my own identity. It gave me a feeling of divine worth and divine identity, and I imagine it did the same for King Lamoni. It can also do the same for you. 

When you are feeling low, or struggling because you don't feel good enough, remember this: HEAVENLY FATHER CREATED YOU AND HE KNOWS YOU!!! You are divine because you were created by the divine. You are worth more than you will ever know. 

Trust God, feel His love, and live a good life because life is good. 

Want to be on Jesus' side?

My religion professor pointed out something very interesting in class this week. We were talking about Mary and Martha and their famous story about when Jesus comes into Martha's home and is all over the place trying to serve while Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus. Martha, exasperated, asks Jesus to tell Mary to come help her and to stop being idle. Jesus says in response, "Mary hath chosen that good part." Or, in other words, sorry, Martha, but Mary is just fine where she is, she is doing a good thing.

I have always been bothered when people use this story to teach the importance of sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening (which I believe is a fantastic thing, and should not be diminished.) However, I have often been able to place myself in Martha's shoes. I serve. I take care of people. If Jesus were to come into my house, my first instinct (if I were in Martha's day) would have been to take care of him, get him something to drink or eat, etc. I have never seen that as a bad thing, and that is what bothered me. This story made that seem like a bad thing.

However, my professor changed all of that thinking. He pointed out that people have different personalities. In this case, Martha is a do-er, a go-getter, a server. Mary is a listener, calm, and quiet. They were both acting according to their personalities, and they were both doing good. The problem came when Martha asked Jesus to help her change Mary's personality. She wanted Mary to be more like her. As my professor pointed out, Jesus will never take the side of the person who is pointing the finger, but rather come between the pointer and the one being pointed at. So, by coming between them, he had to help Martha see that Mary was not in the wrong, but that she was different from her.

Who you are does not make you a bad person. Martha was not doing anything wrong. But we are in the wrong when we wish that someone were more like us. Being Christlike is accepting people for who they are, and not trying to change bits of their personality that would make them more like us.

So, how about we all agree to judge a little less, and accept a little more? I know this is something that I need to work on. No one is perfect, right?

May we all be a little more Christlike and loving towards those around us.

Our Part

One of my favorite scriptures in the whole Book of Mormon is Alma 7:24. In this chapter, Alma, the high priest, has left his judgement seat and is preaching to the people. Here, he is in the city of Gideon preaching to a righteous people. This whole chapter is beautiful because it was written for a group of people who were living how God wanted them to live, so they were blessed with a deeper understanding of gospel topics and not chastened by a call to repentance as is common in the Book of Mormon (and in our lives, today, honestly, Hey, no body is perfect.) Anyways, they get this beautiful chapter, and we get to study it today and get more out of it.

So, this verse says...

"And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity,

and then ye will always abound in good works."

This verse just makes me smile. I think we often think that we need to have faith, hope, charity, and do good works, and then we will be blessed--which can often be the case. But, I love how this verse argues that if you work towards having faith, hope, and charity, then the blessing is that you will do good works. It's all in that fabulous word, "THEN" followed by the use of the future tense. "Then" means that whatever follows after it is the result of what came before it. The future tense means that something is coming in the near or distant future. So, when we put all of these ideas together, we see that having good works is the blessed result of having faith, hope, and charity. Or in other words, when we are doing our best to live a Christ-like life, we are blessed with the ability to live a Christ-like life. It's, as the scriptures say, "one eternal round." I LOVE IT!

So, my friends, I want you to think about what this idea means to you. Are you being faithful, hopeful, and charitable? Because if you are, you are definitely on the path of discipleship, so keep going. Use this scripture as motivation to be better and more Christ-like, that's what I do. 

The Lord loves you and wants to bless you. 

Have fun doing good!

Trials

This week, I was reading in the book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon. In chapter 23, it talks about a righteous group of people. the people of Limhi. They were doing good things and living good lives, when Heavenly Father gave them a trial. And not just any trial, they were inundated by a huge trial--the Lamanites coming and taking their lands and persecuting (bullying) them. As a preface to the story of this trial, Mormon adds in these verses (verses 21-22)

"Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people;

yea, he trieth their patience and their faith. 

Nevertheless--whosoever putteth his trust in him

the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus

it was with this people."

Sometime a trial comes when we are living correctly/doing our best. We may not understand why it comes, but if we do what this group of people did, we will come out conquerors like they did. When Alma, their leader, teaches them to remember the Lord, and trust him, "they hushed their fears" (verse 28). They prayed, they trusted, and they did not give up on the Lord. After the trial of their faith, the blessing came. In chapter 24, it talks about how the spirit of the Lord strengthened them and they were able to bear the burdens of the trial. It was not immediately taken away, but the load became bearable. Then, because their faith and their trust continued to grow, they were delivered from their trial completely by a miracle. 

I love this story! It has brought me so much comfort in my life. I know that when hard times come, if I do my best, have faith, keep moving forward with faith and hope, I know that I will make it though. The Lord is looking out for me. He loves me. And YOU. He loves you. You can make it through any trial, big or small, that you are facing right now if you move forward with faith, hope, and trust. Believe that the Lord will bless you. Remember that He loves you and that He has promised to deliver you from trials, like the people of Limhi, and you will be blessed like them. It may be that your fears melt away, you may be strengthened to bear the load, or the load may be taken from you. Whatever happens, happens according to the will of Lord. Trust Him and all will be well in the end. 

Do You Trust Him?

My religion class this week talked about something that really made me think. We were talking about miracles and trusting God. My professor put this question up on the white board, "Can you trust God?" He said that this question has two interpretations.

1. Is God trustworthy?
2. Is your personal level of faith enough to trust Him?

I LOVE this. It's pretty simple, if we believe that God is trustworthy, but we still don't trust him, then it is a question of our personal faith. If we feel like we can trust him based off of the faith that we have, then he is trustworthy. The two questions go hand in hand. 

I believe that trust is believing in someone and knowing that you can rely on them. I think it is easier than we often think to lack faith on our side of trusting God. I know that I have been guilty of thinking that someone else could be blessed for something, but doubting that I could be blessed the same way. This is bad! Trust in God is trusting that He will bless you with what you seek BUT according to His will and His timing. It is moving forward with hope in the future. 

I love the story of the Leper in Mark chapter 8. This leper came up to Jesus and said, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean" (emphasis added). What I love about this statement is the amount of trust this man had in Jesus! He straight up told Jesus that he could heal him, BUT according to what Jesus thinks is best. He was going to be happy with whatever the outcome was. 

That is how we need to be--fully trusting in Him and fully accepting His will. He knows what is best for us, and when we trust in that and respect that, life is happier and easier. 

So, friends, do YOU trust Him?

Balance

This week in my religion class here at BYU we talked a lot about Jesus Christ in his younger years. What struck me the most was the very last verse in Luke 2, the chapter all about the birth of Jesus and his younger years. It says, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and statue, and in favour with God and man."

My professor explained this verse by saying that God wants us to have balance in our lives. Too often we become overwhelmed with life and trying to do too much of one thing whether it be church, family, or education related. He explained this verse by breaking each part of it into a piece that is significant to most people, especially us young adults trying to get through college in one piece.

1. 1. Wisdom: education, seeking to learn more and more.
2. 2. Stature: physical health
3. 3. Favor with God: spirituality
4. 4. Favor with man: a social life

For us to live the life that God wants us to live, we must find a balance between all of these. Too much of a focus on one will throw our life off balance and that leads to defeat, discouragement, and stress.

For me, in college, I tend to get off balance by focusing too much on my studies. I have been working hard this semester to keep a balance. Study hard, but go to the gym, take time to study my scriptures, and be around friends. I have been happier and my life feels more balanced. Magically, everything is getting done. God blesses us when we do our best. Remember that as you go about your day trying to keep your life balanced. No one is perfect, and our balance will sway different directions occasionally, but as we do our best to keep an equilibrium, we will feel the difference and feel the love and help of God more strongly in our lives.

Nothing is Impossible

Hello friends!

While studying my scriptures this week, I was reading in Luke chapter 1 where the angel Gabriel appears to Elisabeth and Mary to tell them they will be pregnant with two very important people--John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Both of these pregnancies are miracles! Elisabeth has already reached an age where she can no longer have children and Mary is not yet married. In other words, these pregnancies were totally and completely IMPOSSIBLE.

But, they happened. How did they happen? The answer is found in Luke 1:37. One simple phrase. It says,

"For with God nothing shall be impossible."

Honestly, I believe the best scriptures are the simple scriptures. That is it. God can make anything happen that needs to happen. He can create miracle births, he can heal the seemingly unhealable, he can accomplish whatever he needs to. 

To me, in my life, this scripture linked with these stories remind me that anything is possible. When I think that something is impossible, when I feel helpless, I think of this story. We can always have hope. Whatever is supposed to happen will happen. God will not let something not happen if it is supposed to happen. We may not know the timing, or understand the reasoning, or believe that the blessing or miracle will come, but it will. He's the best. 

So for you, my readers, I just hope this can bring you hope if you need it. Peace if you need it. Encouragement if you need it. Nothing is impossible. Believe in Him and trust Him. 

Wings as Eagles

Hey friends, while readying in the bible this week for my religion class, I came across one of my favorite scriptures. I saw this scripture hanging in one of my only mission apartments, but I never knew/could remember the reference for it. But hey! Here it showed up again in my assigned readings. So, it's found in Isaiah 40:31 and it says...

"But they that wait upon the Lord

shall renew their strength; they shall

mount up with wings as eagles; they shall

run and not be weary; and they shall walk and

not faint."

Seriously, such a beautiful scripture. I love the imagery in this verse. The idea that listening to and following God with give us strength and the ability to mount up as eagle! Glorious. When I read this verse, I get a liberating feeling. I feel God's love and I feel that I have a great potential in this life. The best path is on the path following our Heavenly Father. 

So, I hope you all have a chance to ponder this verse. What does mounting up with wings as eagles mean to you? God loves you and wants the best for you. His plan is for your happiness. 

Until next time!

The Fall

How many of us have struggled when we have heard in this church that the fall of Adam and Eve was a good thing? I grew up in the southern United States, surrounded by many different people of different denominations, most of them strongly and devoutly Christian. I grew up hearing that Eve was awful and that because of her, bad things are on Earth. Because Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, bad things happen today, and people make bad choices.

I heard it so much, that I started to believe it. I questioned why the fall happened, why they made that choice, why God didn't stop them. Then, I studied (more than read) 2 Nephi 2. This chapter is beautiful and has some of my favorite scriptures in it. My favorite, and I believe the most simple scripture ever to be written, is 2 Nephi 2:25.

"Adam fell that men might be; and men

are that they might have joy."

How beautifully simple is this verse? It answers all of my questions I had in one statement. Why did the fall happen? Because if Adam and Eve had not eaten the fruit, we would not be here. They did that for US for ME and for YOU so that we could come to Earth and live, have experiences, and learn. Why did God let the fall happen? Because He wanted us to get bodies and come to Earth to learn and be tested. He wanted us to have real joy that can only be experienced when there is sorrow at some points in our lives. 

I hope this scripture is as simple to you as it was to me. I hope you feel the spirit testify of the beauty of God's plan and you feel the love that Adam and Eve had for God and for us. They did what they did because it would provide a life for us. They chose to live a harder life than they had in the garden so that we could live. I think that is beautiful. 

We Thank Thee, O God, For A Prophet

As many of you may know, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints announced today the calling of a new prophet. How sad it was to hear that our beloved Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson had passed away. But, the true beauty of this church set up by our Savior, Jesus Christ, is that we are never left without a prophet. We are never left without someone linked to God and Jesus Christ who can lead us and help us on Earth. Heavenly Father loves us so much, that He has yet again, called a new prophet to lead to us.

With the announcement of President Russell M. Nelson as the new prophet and President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring as his counselors, I have felt love and peace. It feels great to know that the church is still in good hands. However, I also took a minute to ponder if I had received my own personal spiritual confirmation that these men are actually called of God. While pondering this, I decided to turn to my scriptures to do my daily reading. I am currently reading in the Book of Mormon in the book of 1 Nephi. I just stumbled on the beginning of "the Isaiah chapters," a set of chapters early in the Book of Mormon that every member of the church jokes about not ever being able to understand because of the imagery and deep symbolism of the book. I am no different. Most of the time, I just muscle through hoping for blessings of obedience in reading more than blessings from understanding. But today, a verse seemed to jump out of the page right at me. It was 1 Nephi 20:15 that says...

"Also, saith the Lord; I the Lord, yea, I have spoken; yea, 

I have called him to declare, I have brought him, 

and he shall make his way prosperous."

This, to me, was my personal spiritual confirmation that President Russell M. Nelson has been called of God and set apart as a prophet to lead us and guide us in the ways of the Lord. I know that we can have full confidence in him and his decisions and his teachings. He will not lead us astray. 

The doctrine found in this verse is deep and can bring the greatest comfort, especially at this time in the church. First, it tells us that God speaks. He is not silent. He does not and will not leave us in the dark. Second, He calls people to do His work. We are never going to have to run around confused, not knowing what to do to return to live with Him again. He calls people to be instruments in His hands and to be there for us. And finally, He prepares a way. Whatever Heavenly Fathers wants/needs to happen, He provides a way. We can always trust in Him and in His plan. 

So, my friends, I hope that you can find the comfort in this verse that I did. Trust Heavenly Father and this part of the plan playing out in front of us. Remember the legacy of President Thomas S. Monson, and be prepared and ready to follow President Nelson, the living prophet on the earth today. 

This is an exciting time for the church. I believe that there are many great things to come. 

I am not entirely sure how many people really look at this blog. It hasn't been updated in years. It only covered a snippet of my mission and then I had full intentions of getting it going again after my mission, but lets be honest, I can barely remember to keep a journal half of the time, let alone a blog.

However, I have been blessed with opportunity to be in a BYU religion class that requires us to share our thoughts and feelings we have while studying the scriptures. I am not very good at expressing my testimony and feelings out loud, but hopefully, I can express them decently in writing.

So, let's begin, shall we?

There is some beautiful doctrine taught in Moses chapter 1. In the first three verses, the attributes and characteristics of Heavenly Father are explained. We are told that He has a body like ours, He cares about the individual, He is glorious and almighty, He is eternal. Then, in verse four Heavenly Father is talking to Moses and says, "And behold, thou art my son..."

The beauty in the verse, pointed out to me by my professor that day, is that that one little phrase gave Moses his entire identity. And not only does it give Moses a divine identity, but it also gives ME a divine identity, and it gives YOU a divine identity.

In this one phrase, we are told that we can grow up to be just like our Heavenly Father. That is what He wants for us. He told us in the first three verses what our potential is.

Never think less of yourself. Never doubt your worth. You are a child of God and you can do great things. He is an example of who you have the potential to become.