Living Water

My goal to post a few times this week didn't happen. At the risk of sounding like a total millennial, I'll just say one thing: #finals. 

I'm sure many of you have heard of Light the World by now. If you haven't, head on over to mormon.org for inspiration on how you can focus on Christ this CHRISTmas. If I'm being honest, sometimes I get a little caught up in the gift giving, twinkling lights, and Christmas trees, forgetting the real reason we're celebrating Christmas. Light the World focuses on one of Christ's teachings every day and provides suggestions for ways to serve based on that message. Today's theme is "I was thirsty and ye gave me drink." 

Jesus Christ is the living water. Just as water is essential for our physical bodies, He is essential for our spirits. He brings light and life and hope and joy and all things good. So, to share this living water, I want to post some of my favorite scriptures. 

"Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit...if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." 

-- Mark 9:17, 22-24 --

"Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend."

-- Mosiah 4:9 --

"I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

Now, as my mind caught hold upon this though, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me...

And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea ,my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!"

-- Alma 36:17-20 --

I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, the Son of God. I know that He loves each of us infinitely more than we are able to comprehend. I know that He has the power to change our hearts and to bring light into our lives. I love Him, and I'm so grateful that we get to celebrate Him and His life each year. 

He is there

Sometimes I think that I shouldn't share my blog posts on Facebook as much as I do. What if it gets annoying, what if people don't like it? Today I realized that a) I hardly ever post on Facebook, so why not post goodness (or my perspective of goodness, anyway), and b) if people don't like it, they don't have to click on the link and they can unfollow me if they want to. 

What I really want to write about today though is the stripling warriors. It's pretty common for LDS people to love the stripling warriors, especially teenage girls. Right? Today, though, I found a different perspective that I want to share with you all. 

from lds.org

"behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we shall fall; then let us go forth"

- Alma 56:46 -

"according to their faith it was done unto them"

- Alma 57:21 -

In the past, I've really only focused on the courage of the stripling warriors, their love of their families and their mothers in particular. I was struck last night and today by their faith. HUGE amounts of faith coming off of these boys left and right. It was their faith that saw them through horrific battles in an even more horrific war. They trusted the things their mothers had taught them, they trusted Helaman to lead them, but they trusted their God most of all. Helaman even says that their faith was so great that not a single boy was killed in the course of their battles. They were wounded, sure, but no one died. 

from womeninthescriptures.com

Go back to the second verse that I shared - "according to their faith it was done unto them." That's so incredibly amazing to me. God is right there, arms outstretched, ready to help us with whatever we need if we only ask. Of course, His ways are different than ours and we may end up with something completely different than we were expecting. The point is, though, that He is there. 

If I put my faith and my trust in God, He can help me in everything that I am doing - dance, classes, clinical, homework, studying, etc. He is there.

He is there. 

Happy Sunday!

Life Worth Living

The majority of my spiritual thoughts on my blog come from things I've found in the scriptures during the week, and I would hate to break the trend today. It's a real thing, scripture study. My life has been so blessed by it.

Scripture study is a tangent I could go off on, but today I really want to talk about life.

I've been reading in Ether lately, about the "destruction of an entire civilization," as Jeffrey R. Holland put it (he may have been talking about other destruction, because the Book of Mormon has a lot of of it, but it fits Ether nonetheless). In chapter 15, Coriantumr finally writes a letter to the other leader, Shiz, to ask that the fighting cease, "for the sake of the lives of the people." I thought about that for a minute, and this is what I wrote in the margin:

If we value life and don't kill, how come we don't treat each other better? We don't want to kill, but it's okay to hurt? I know God expects more than that. These are His creations, His children!

Really though. Why do we frown upon and punish for taking away a life, but we turn the other way when it comes to making a life miserable? Don't we all deserve a high quality of life? And I'm not talking about material possessions and the circumstances we find ourselves in when I mention quality. Those things are out of control. But we can control the quality of our own lives and the impact that we have on the lives of others. I've often found that the quality of my life improves when I am focused on someone else's life and what I can do for them. 

And how can it not? When I am removing burdens from the shoulders of those I care about, when I am helping someone else see the good in their circumstances, how can I not feel good about my life and what I am doing?

What about the effects of others' actions on my own life? I have been so blessed to have been surrounded by so many fantastic people. I have never truly been alone, no matter how much I try and have tried to convince myself (but that is a story for a later day). Their stories strengthen me, give me hope, set examples for me to follow. Which leads me to my next thought: stories.

My visiting teacher shared a story during fast and testimony meeting today that had been shared with her. The stories we tell, the lives we live make their way to far more people than we realize. How often do we tell stories that we ourselves have been told? And how often do those stories set us thinking, keep us going, change the course of the paths we are on? 

We have a far greater impact on the lives of others than we realize. If you want proof, take a look at your own life. Look at the fingerprints and thumbprints and hand prints and footprints that are scattered all over your story. Some are clean, and leave you with feelings of happiness and contentment. Others are dirty, leaving you with the desire to scrub them off. Try as you might though, they never will. Either kind. They have become part of you, even though they are the marks of others. They have shaped you and molded you, and you would not be who you are without them. And would you really take them off? Some of you would, despite who you are today and what you have become with them. And that's okay. 

But this all lead back to my original point - why do we not place a greater value on life than simply allowing it to continue living? Why do we not try to leave it better than we found it? What if that was our focus, to add good to the lives of our friends and family and even the strangers that we come across on our way to work, during work, in class, at church? What difference could we make? Back to my visiting teacher. The story she shared was from her mission. There was a man who was a surgeon before World War II. He loved his work, and he was good at it. During the war, a bombing left him blind, unable to return to his work as a surgeon. Rather than giving up, he went to various factories, asking them to give him three weeks to learn to do the job blind. He would then gather other blind war veterans and teach them what he had learned so that they would be able to work and support themselves and their families. 

I love that story. Here was a man who did not let his limitations and his weaknesses hold him back from living his life, but he also used them to help others live theirs. How that story touched me! He changed his life, the lives of the war veterans he helped to find jobs, the lives of their families and the descendants of those families, the lives of everyone in my visiting teacher's mission who heard that story, the lives of everyone in sacrament meeting today, and now you. Not to mention so many more who have heard that story from others who were told the story. We have no idea what our stories can do, and my urging this week is that we think about what we can do to improve the quality of those living around us. 

If you made it to the end of this extraordinarily long post, thank you. Have a wonderful week. If you didn't, that's okay. I hope you have a wonderful week as well. :)

Listing Away

No set topic for posting today, just a list. Those that know me really well know that I like to make lists. It makes it easier for me to keep track of my life. And this way, you don't have to keep up with every single detail, you just get a brief (ish) summary.

1. I've set a new goal to get up earlier in the mornings, and go to bed a little earlier too (I need my beauty sleep. Really badly. As in, if I don't get my beauty sleep, life isn't so beautiful and neither is my personality). I didn't intentionally set this goal. I just decided to wake up early (goal time: 6:00 am. Actual time: 7:00 am) on Monday morning to study, since I don't really like to on Sundays. And guess what? I ate breakfast. I got ready for the day. I made my bed. I was early to work. Do you know when the last time was that any of those things happened? Honestly, I can't remember. For the past two-ish months, I shower at night and let my hair dry in my sleep, jump out of bed sometime between 7:30 and 7:40 the next morning, brush my teeth, and make myself look presentable for the day, then dash off to work. Rarely does food work itself into the equation. Or I make myself late for work to make a quick peanut butter sandwich (see #3). But this week? I have gotten up in time to take care of everything every single day. Miracle of miracles. And I've been in bed by 11:30 every night. It makes a HUGE difference.

from http://whatbethsays.tumblr.com/post/73471441303/the-only-realistic-representation-of-how-women

2. New favorite scripture: Ether 6:10. I was having a bad day, and reading Ether 6, particularly verse 10, was exactly what I needed. The Lord always knows what scriptures I will need on what days. It's incredible, and I am so grateful for that tender mercy. (If you don't understand why I love it, that's okay. At least you read it.)

3. Peanut butter sandwiches are officially a thing. On wheat bread. I know, Racquel eating only wheat bread. It's a hard image to get in your mind, huh? Don't worry, I still am white bread's biggest fan. But wheat bread makes me feel like I'm eating healthier. And I can make a jar of peanut butter last a lot longer than a package of deli turkey. So all in all, it's easier, cheaper, and healthier, and I'm getting food!

4. Robbie and I packed up my family (or rather, my family packed up and Robbie and I joined them) and headed to California for fun times with the beach, family, and of course, a dance competition. Last time we were there (the last 2 times I've been to the beach actually), I did not get in the ocean. This time? I was all the way under. (Salt water is capital N-A-S-T-Y nasty!) And I've decided that I love doing things like that and stepping out of my comfort zone to be "adventurous." (Don't laugh at me too hard please!). So, family reunion this weekend? So excited. 

from http://places.findthehome.com/l/140069/Huntington-Beach-Los-Angeles-CA

 5. BYUSA showed Cinderella (the new one) outside last Saturday. It was a blast - Clarissa and I popped 2 bags of popcorn to take with us, Kenna sat right next to us without even realizing it, and the rest of the crowd applauded and cheered at all the right times. Complete contentment. 

from http://www.modernmami.com/reviews/cinderella-movie-review/

 I'm in love with this picture by the way. And the dress. It moves so gorgeously. (is that a word? Because it is now.)

When I can get pictures off of my phone (it took a little nose dive onto the cement in CA and now half of the screen is taking a permanent rest), I will update this post with pictures. Because what's a post without pictures?! For now, enjoy the generic pictures I found on Google.

Spiritual Sunday

 I know that my Redeemer lives.

What comfort this sweet sentence gives!

He lives, he lives, who once was dead.

He lives, my ever-living Head.

He lives to bless me with his love.

He lives to plead for me above.

He lives my hungry soul to feed.

He lives to bless in time of need.

He lives to grant me rich supply.

He lives to guide me with his eye.

He lives to comfort me when faint.

He lives to hear my soul's complaint.

He lives to silence all my fears.

He lives to wipe away my tears.

He lives to calm my troubled heart.

He lives all blessings to impart.

He lives, my kind, wise heav'nly Friend.

He lives and loves me to the end.

He lives, and while he lives, I'll sing.

He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.

He lives and grants me daily breath.

He lives, and I shall conquer death.

He lives my mansion to prepare.

He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives! All glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
"I know that my Redeemer lives!"
He lives! All glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

  Hymn No. 136, LDS Hymn Book. Text by Samuel Medley; music by Lewis D. Edwards

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church of God, restored to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that God is our Heavenly Father, and that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to the earth to show us the way back home and to atone for our sins so that returning home can be possible. 

I know that Heavenly Father both hears and answers our prayers, that He loves us with an infinite, unconditional, perfect love. I know that He is always watching over us and that He is always there, even when it doesn't seem like it. 

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that it was translated through the power of God, and that it was prepared specifically for our day. I love this book, and I know that it is true.

I know that Joseph Smith was called of God to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth in its fullness. I know that the prophet today, Thomas S. Monson, is also called of God.

I am so grateful for the gospel, for its goodness. I am grateful for the Holy Ghost, for Jesus Christ, and for my Heavenly Father. I know that all of it is true, and I know that I can receive personal comfort and guidance. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me, and I know that He loves you too. He wants us to come back to Him so that we can live with Him and have perfect joy. I love Him, and I love His Son, and I love His gospel. 

My challenge to everyone this week is to find a way to share your own testimony. The Spirit will testify to you the truth. Have a wonderful week!

Found on melaniejeanjuneau.wordpress.com

 

***If you want to learn more about what I believe, visit lds.org.***

Book of Mormon and Babies and Puppies, Oh My!

Today, I want to talk about what's fair. Because guess what? Even though life often isn't fair, God is. My professor told us a story about a family he taught on his mission who had been told that their 3 hour old baby was going to...you know, that place...because he hadn't been baptized, because their priest couldn't get to the hospital fast enough. Is that fair? Is it fair that someone who dies before ever hearing the gospel gets sent straight to that place because their government wouldn't allow the missionaries to go to that country? No, of course not! We do not worship an unfair God. We worship a God who loves all of His children perfectly, completely, and unconditionally, and who does everything He can to help us get to the celestial kingdom. Our God does not automatically condemn babies, or anyone else for that matter, for something that is completely out control. As you can probably guess by now, we discussed Moroni 8 & 9. I love verse 8 in chapter 8: "little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them." Babies are perfect! I mean, just look at those cute little faces and tell me that they're not perfect. 

pinterest.com

from bbc.co.uk

from tamaralackey.com

And just adorable. But that's beside the point. 

I love that we've been taught that we'll be able to raise those little babies that died here in the next life (did that make sense?). Both my grandma and my aunt lost babies, and my grandma will talk about how excited she is to be able to raise her baby girl. I love Heavenly Father's plan. He knows what to do in every situation, and He always has a back-up plan. If you and your spouse die before getting sealed in the temple, relatives can do it for you in the temple by proxy. You can be baptized for your ancestors that didn't have the chance to while they were alive. Heavenly Father's plan is absolutely incredible, and I am so grateful for it!!

Now to end, with a few more adorable pictures. Of dogs. Not quite babies, but they are adorable too :).

from clothesbroshairbows.blogspot.com

from dailypuppy.com

from yoyozora.com

from thelittlefrenchbullblog.tumblr.com

P.S. Consider yourself very fortunate (or unfortunate) that I didn't post more pictures of these cute dogs :) You can find more on my Pinterest board!

A Challenge to Act

I really want to get this out there, I think it is an amazing idea, it counts for my Book of Mormon post, and it starts tomorrow. Whaaa? is probably what you're all thinking. A few weeks ago, I wrote an email to one of my best friends who is currently serving a mission. I told her about this fantastic thing I had learned about in Book of Mormon - digging for diamonds while reading the Book of Mormon (or any book of scripture for that matter). There are three basic parts to finding diamonds:

1. Dig for it – basic reading of the scriptures

2. Find the diamond in the rough – principles and doctrines found in the scriptures

3. Shape and polish the diamond – application 

     I really want to focus on application today.  This week, we finished studying the book of Ether, and part of what we talked about was acting. Ether 12:3 says "believe in God unto repentance." Belief is different that faith. In fact, there's a HUGE difference. Belief comes from logic a lot of the time. Faith leads you to take action. Belief doesn't always leave you to act. Faith comes from the heart. I wrote this in my notes: 

   "What you know, what you've been taught, what you've learned, you need to act on it. Integrate it. Live it. Ingrain it. Love it. Share it." 

And I realized, that's what I need to do. I need to act on what I'm learning. I made a goal that for conference this weekend, I would take note of the things that I need to act on, and then actually act. I've also realized that my scripture study will mean more if I act on what I learn and apply it. My professor is always asking things like, "what does this mean for the 2014 BYU student?" What does it mean for YOU? 

 A friend from elementary school, Sister Isaak, is also serving a mission, and I love reading her mission blog. Her email home on February 3 was absolutely perfect for me. It was exactly what I needed. She talked about how she was read the Book of Mormon constantly, praying to have a love for it, and finding things that applied to both her life and the lives of her investigators. I've decided to do this in my own life, and it so happens that tomorrow kicks off a challenge that goes perfectly with this. 

 Some of you may have heard of this. The Book of Mormon was translated from April 7 to June 30 in 1829. A challenge has been issued to read and finish the book cover to cover during that time period, starting tomorrow and going until June 30.  I'm taking the challenge, as well as the idea from Sister Isaak, and I invite you to do the same. Read about the Book of Mormon Translation Challenge HERE, and read the email from Sister Isaak HERE. Good luck, and I want to hear about how it goes! I'll be posting about it as well!

A Most Beautiful Thing

Remember the story in Ether, when the brother of Jared went to the Lord with three problems? He had just finished building barges so that he and his people could get to the promised land and they were "tight like unto a dish." At that point, he realized he had 3 problems on his hands - there was no light, there was no way to steer the barges, and there wasn't any air in them once the openings were closed. He got three answers that are the same types of answers we get today. I'll talk about two of them briefly, but it's the first that I really want to focus on.

Type 1. When the brother of Jared told the Lord that there wasn't any air inside the barges, his answer came in the form of step-by-step instructions, almost like a manual. "Do this, then when you've done that, do this other thing, and then do this. Oh, and if this happens, this is what you need to do." That was it. The brother of Jared (we're just going to call him Mahonri, okay? The brother of Jared is just too long, and spelling out TBOJ is just too difficult, what with pressing the CAPS lock key so often. Welcome to the life of a lazy college student. It's a work in progress. Anyway, back to the story.) didn't have to plan anything, he didn't have to think about it, he just had to do it. (See verses 20-21 of Ether 2.)

Type 2. Mahonri's solution to steering these great big barges was even more simple than the solution to the lack of air. It was a simple, "Don't you worry about it. I know where I want you to go, and I will get you there." He didn't even have to worry about doing anything. (See Ether 2:24-25)

Type 3. The answer to what Mahonri should do about there being no light came in a very simple way, but in a way that allowed the most creativity and agency. Verse 23 of Ether 2 says, "And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?" This required Mahonri to think and act, to exercise his agency. I might have talked about this on here before, but here it goes again. We fought a war in Heaven to have agency, and all too often, we don't want it. We want to be given the answers and told what to do when it's convenient. We don't want to go through the trouble of making our own choices. But think about it in this situation. Mahonri was able to think, to get creative. The Lord didn't give him any limitations; He simply asked, "what do you want me to do?" It's important to remember that in these situations the Lord won't leave us alone. He will guide us. This type of answer allows us to work with God, to become more like Him. We experience new things, we grow, we learn. I love that. When we heard about and discussed this type of answer in class, I thought it was beautiful. The more I thought about it, the more I fell in love and was glad that our prayers are answered this way.

Try that perspective next time you don't get an immediate answer. I will if you will ;).

What You Need Most

I'm trying to do better at being caught up on my homework, actually studying, and getting things done early so that I don't have to rush doing them. Like my last human development paper. I get to go observe the BYU preschool & kindergarten this week, and I am so excited. I wanted to do it today, but unfortunately I have some things I have to work on for my paper before that will be beneficial to me. I was kind of bummed when I realized I wouldn't be observing those little kiddos today, but then really kind of glad when I realized it would mean getting to sleep longer. 

Which reminds me of something I said at Nationals. It's an oh dear moment:

Every year they have a stand for cinnamon roasted almonds. And they smell SO good! So I said, "I always want to go get some cinnamon roasted almonds, but then I remember that I actually don't like almonds. So I don't." Yup. How 'bout that.

Anyway, now time for my BOM portion of this post. I really needed it this week. I've been struggling with something, and when I went to Book of Mormon on Thursday, I got exactly what I needed. We moved to the book of Mormon, chapters 1-6 and were discussing them. One of the things our teacher pointed out to us was how similar Mormon and Joseph Smith were. Both shared their fathers' names, both of their fathers moved them while they were still young, both moved by a hill that held the sacred record, both were called at a young age, and so on and so forth. Mormon and his father had to move because of war. Joseph Smith Sr. moved his family because of crop failures 3 years in a row. The Lord put Joseph and Mormon where they needed to be, and it wasn't exactly in the most convenient and preferable way. 

Sometimes, we go through life doing the best we can - working hard, having high hopes. But then life comes along and crushes those hopes, throwing that hard work down the drain, and we fail. It is precisely in those moments of failure that God opens doors for us. D&C 124:49 explains that sometimes life does happen, that of our hard work ends up not making a difference, but God still accepts it and turns it into something useable. We will be put where we need to be. While talking to my dad the other day, he told me that if Heavenly Father wants me to know something, He will let me know. What we do with the circumstances, however, is an entirely different matter. 

I've have learned that where we are put really is where we need to be. My junior year in high school, I didn't make the varsity ballroom team, and I was "stuck" on JV for another year. I was upset, but being on that team another year turned out to be a huge blessing. I improved in my technique a lot, I grew as a dancer and as a person. I made lasting friendships and grew others (my friendship with Kenna would not be where it is today if we hadn't been on JV together for another year). Things happened that changed me for the better would have never happened if I hadn't been on JV again. Plus, we took 2nd place in Division II with our How to Train Your Dragon standard medley and 3rd in Division II with our Rio latin medley, both only 6 couples (2 less than the typical medley size of 8 couples). That is the biggest example that I have seen of this principle, but there are others. There are plenty of others. The trials we go through and the situations we experience are really what we need. Some are due to our own decisions, some are not, but all are for our benefit, no matter what we think. 

 

And that was exactly what I needed to hear in class on Thursday. 

Um, so this post ended up really long. So I'll share some of my favorite things from pinterest??? Except for now I'm going to a wedding reception. So maybe not. Bye!

When tomorrow comes, my body might collapse.

It's almost 3:00 in the morning as I write this. You would think I would have learned by now that "going to bed" at 9:30 with the light still on will not result in sleeping through the night. I was falling asleep as I read my book for my history class, so I thought, okay, I'll just go to bed now and get up around 5:30 in the morning and finish it. The next thing I know, the light's still on and it's only 20 minutes later. Hence, my wakefulness right now. 

I'm supposed to get up and go over to the Marriott Center by 8 so that I can buy tickets and sell them for the BYU ballroom dance concert. Then I'm supposed to go to classes and work and not get home until 5, get my cleaning assignments done for our cleaning check, and go to the temple (which I'm excited about). *sarcasm* Good thing almost all of my classes that require me to be in class for credit are tomorrow. *groan* Tomorrow/today is going to be lots of fun. Who knows if I'll even fall asleep before it's time to wake up.

Since I'm awake, I thought I'd put my time to good use and do my weekly BOM post, seeing as it's due tomorrow/today. 

I learn the coolest things in that class. There's so much to learn, and it definitely helps if you have an instructor who knows and loves what they're teaching and if you're willing to work and learn. We talked about 3 Nephi 24 on Tuesday, and about tithing. It's kind of the same principle as the sacrament. God doesn't need our sacrifices; in fact, He's completely fine without them. He does it because we need them. Think about this story:

Two boys had a picnic basket that they took to a river, followed by a mother cat. The mother cat had recently had kittens, and because no one wanted the kittens, the boys were sent to drown them. One boy reached into the basket, pulled out a kitten, and proceeded to throw it into the river as the mother cat anxiously watched on, ready to jump into the river to save her kitten. As the next boy pulled out another kitten, a man came by and asked if he could buy the kittens from them. They agreed, the man rescued the first cat from the river, and took both kittens home. He created a comfortable bed for them and fed them. The next day, the man had several important guests over for a meeting. As they all congregated in the living room, the mother cat walked in holding a freshly caught, juicy rat. She walked right up to the man, gently laid the rat at his feet, and rubbed up against his legs. 

The man didn't need the rat, and probably didn't even want it. Yet it was the mother cat's way of saying thank you for what the man had done for her. It works the same way when we pay tithing. Our Heavenly Father doesn't need the 10% of our income. He isn't scrimping pennies to build temples, but we give our money to Him in gratitude for all He's done for us. We give it to Him because He asked us to, because we love Him, and because we want to be like Him. The blessings we receive from sacrificing and paying tithing are so much more than anything we will ever give up. He promises us in 3 Nephi 24:10 "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse...and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

We will be blessed for paying tithing and sacrificing when the Lord asks us to. We may not see it now, but the blessings will come. Mother Gothel at least had one thing right when she said "All good things to those who wait." [Even though she was entirely misguided and misguiding when she said it.] My challenge to you this week is to watch for the blessings in your life that come when you sacrifice, whether it be your time, talents, money, etc. 

Symbolism Out the Wazoo!

Maybe I'm just behind the times, but in Book of Mormon last week I learned about all of this incredible symbolism associated with the sacrament that I kind of knew existed but had no idea what it was. We studied 3 Nephi 18, and let me tell you how amazing it was. Actually, I'm hoping you'll be able to see at least a little of it yourself. 

• 3 Nephi 18:1-3. Christ commanded the disciples to bring bread and wine. He could have gotten way better bread and wine than they ever could, yet He wanted it to be their offering. And notice that when they come back in verse 3, it says He "took...and brake and blessed it; and he gave..." He accepted it, He broke it, then He blessed it and gave it back to them better than it had been before. That's what Christ does. He takes the meager offerings we have to give Him and gives it back to us better than we can imagine. And what He gives back is eternal, not just temporary.
• 3 Nephi 18: 7, 11. When Christ gave the people the bread, He told them "it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you." Then when He gives them the wine He says about the same thing. Now, here's the cool part. The bread symbolizes His flesh, which at this time, is immortal and perfect. The wine/water symbolizes His blood, which was mortal. When we take both the bread and water, we are taking Him into our bodies. Both the bread and water become part of our bodies, allowing Christ to become a part of us as well. We become more like Him when we take the bread and water. I just love that. We take Him into ourselves and become more like Him when we take the sacrament. We renew our baptismal covenant when we take the sacrament, and become more like our Savior. Isn't that beautiful?
• We talked about why the water is in a cup. Remember the bitter cup that Christ asked if it could pass from Him? That happened while He was in mortality. Everything bad and bitter and unfair went into that cup and He drank it. Part of us is in Him because He drank that cup, and so doing drank our sorrows and pains and sins. We are part of  Him, and He becomes part of us when we drink from the sacrament cup. Yet, we don't have to drink the bitter. He already drank it. Now that we are in Him, we need to allow Him to be in us.
• One last short thought, in the form of a definition I came up with. Sacrifice - giving up our best for something better.  

P.S. These are my thoughts and what I got out of my class; not intended as a statement of doctrine.

created by Michael Hawks, found on facebook.com

Happy Nationals Week!

Where There's a Wall, There's a Way

You guys, Book of Mormon is seriously one of my favorite classes this semester. I feel the Spirit every. single. class. The spiritual high I experience is fabulous. Enough of my gushing, although I could gush all day.

This week we talked about Samuel the Lamanite. His story always reminds me of a Mormonad I saw in an issue of the New Era. It’s the classic picture of Samuel on the wall with the people throwing stones and shooting at him, and it says “Popularity. It’s overrated. Sometimes the crowd is just plain wrong.” But popularity isn’t what I want to talk about – I really wanted to talk about Samuel. There are two things we can learn from Samuel (minimum). I’ve taken both things from Helaman 13:3 – “But behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, that he should return again and prophesy unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart.” The first is that the Lord values His children. Samuel had already tried to teach the people, had been into the city and gotten kicked out. Then the Lord told him to go back, that He would tell Samuel what to say. That’s how precious his children are to Him; He isn’t willing to just give up on them. Samuel had a million reasons to not go back into the city, but he decided to be obedient and see if he could get someone to listen to him. That’s where the second lesson comes in: never give up. Never give up on the people you care about or what you care about. Both the people and the gospel were important to Samuel, so he went back. We joked (although there is undoubtedly some truth to this) that if Samuel hadn’t been able to get up the wall, he would have found another way in.

My challenge to you this week is to apply what Samuel taught us: remember how valuable each individual is to God and to never give up. There is always another way, it just takes some effort. Have a good week you guys :). 

 

love and gratitude for my mom

from http://rationalfaiths.com/war/

I'm sure you're all familiar with the story of Helaman's 2000 stripling warriors. 2000 incredible guys between the ages of about 13 and 27, going off to war and fighting for the first time in their lives to defend their families and their freedom. I can't imagine how daunting that must been for them, especially having never fought before. Their parents wouldn't fight because of a promise they had made to God, and they were strongly encouraged to keep it. I imagine a few of the boys getting together and thinking, "well, what can we do to keep our families safe?" And then as they talked to more of the boys about it, they decided to all go to war to protect their rights and their family. I don't know if that's what really happened, but I imagine that it went something like that.

And, of course, that brings us to their mothers, which is what I really want to talk about. In verses 47 and 48 of Alma 56, it says "they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it." My professor asked us each to consider what those mothers were doing while their sons were off fighting, and he said that he believed they were praying their hearts out for the safety of their sons. What strength these women must have had, what courage, to send their young sons to war. What faith they must have had, what knowledge. The influence they had on their sons must have been profound, because they told Helaman that it was their mothers who made the difference, their mothers who gave them strength and taught them the gospel.

I know that mothers have an extremely deep influence on their children. I know that mothers greatly care for and love their children. As we discussed these women in class, I thought about my own mom. I can joke about her running my head into a pole when I was little, or the time she accidentally told me "at least you're good at something," or the day when I accidentally said "I'm glad you're not my mom!" in the middle of a young women lesson (Long story. And I totally wasn't thinking when I said it, and I definitely didn't mean it). All jokes aside though, I am incredibly grateful for my own mom. She's had to deal with some rough things, but she is strong and faithful. I know that she has a testimony of the gospel, and I know that she loves the Church. She's one of my best friends. My mom has stayed up with me as I cried, given me advice that I needed to hear but didn't want to hear, gone shopping with me, and asked my advice and opinions on things that are important to her. At Nationals last year, she helped me do my hair, she followed me around the dance floor with a plastic bag and a bottle of ginger ale. She goes to almost every single competition, and is becoming the best kind of "dance mom." I call her a lot, although definitely not as much as I should :). I am so grateful for my mom.

Right before I moved out to go to college, I came home from work and she asked me if she had taught me everything I need to know.

Yes Mom, you did. You taught me about faith, about having strength, that it's okay to cry and eat chocolate, that the Lord's tender mercies are all around us. You taught me that sometimes we have to do things that we don't want to, even when they're good for us. You taught me about love and happiness. I don't say it enough, and it's difficult for me to actually say it, but I love you so much Mom. I am so grateful that you are my mom and for everything you do for me and for our family. My kids are going to have one fantastic grandma :).

I've got a challenge for you guys this week. Take the time to let your mom know how much she means to you and what she's done for you. If you don't have a great relationship with your mom, start one, and put effort into it. Make sure she knows you love her.

Someday, I will be a mom, and I cannot wait for that day; to watch over and nurture my children, to become their best friend, to teach them everything I know. I'm so grateful for mothers. 

(She won't be very happy with me for posting this picture (;. )

A perspective that changed my life. [including a sneak peak at reception pictures!]

I think that the most dreaded section of the Book of Mormon, other than the Isaiah chapters in 2 Nephi, is the war chapters. There are so many of them, and all it seems to talk about is fighting, armor, fighting, some pretty attractive (in both the physical and spiritual sense) young men, fighting, and more fighting. At least, I thought so until I went to my Book of Mormon class this past Tuesday.

Remember the war in heaven, where the devil convinced a third of the hosts of heaven to follow him and we all had to decide who we were going to follow? You might have thought the war in heaven is over. Well, it's continuing, right now. No, we may not be fighting with swords and armor, but the spiritual war is stronger than ever, and you are a part of it. That's right, we are at war. It doesn't matter if you want to be at war or not, you are. Look at the chapter heading of Revelation 12. "He also sees the war in heaven in the beginning...He sees the continuation of that war on earth."

Now, ask yourself why Mormon included so much war in the Book of Mormon. He saw our day, and he knew that the war against the adversary would still be happening. He included the war chapters for our benefit, because there is a lot that we can learn from them. Don't believe me? See for yourself.

• Alma 43:17 - Moroni was only 25 when he became the chief commander of the entire army. Joseph Smith was called when he was 14. We send missionaries out to share the gospel at the ages of 18 and 19. The Lord isn't afraid of accomplishing some pretty big things through youth.
• Alma 43:18-22 - The Nephites were heavily armed and well protected. The Lamanites who came against them were not. They were full on offense, without a thought of defense. As members of the Church, it is important for us to be on offense, but we must have strong defenses to parry the fiery darts shot at us by the adversary.
• Alma 58:2 - The Nephites didn't dare go into Lamanite territory that was well protected and heavily guarded. They didn't want to "attack them in their strongholds" because that was where the Lamanites had the most power! As I read this scripture, the phrase "stand ye in holy places" (D&C 87:8) came to mind. Stay on the high ground, where the devil has less power over you. Don't go into places or situations where he is strongest.

These are just a few things that I've found and that we talked about in my class. I promise you that as you read the war chapters in Alma focusing on the war in heaven and fight for agency, you'll find so much more than you have before. I've seen it in my own scripture study this past week. It makes all the difference in the world. 

Now for some other stuff :). I got to take pictures at Megan's reception on Friday night, and I absolutely loved it! It was so much fun to walk around with the camera (I even got to borrow my parents' super nice one) and snap pictures. I'm not revealing too many yet, but here's a sneak peak.

I can't wait to edit all of them and see the end result! Unfortunately, the lighting was a little difficult to work with, but I did manage to get some good ones! Stay tuned! (It's just like I got married or something. Don't worry, I didn't, and I'm nowhere close!)

More pictures, life, and a Sunday thought.

For the sake of your reading, I've decided that I'm going to condense my posting and weekly Book of Mormon posting into one post. So considerate, right? I knew you'd appreciate it. Let's hit up some highlights, shall we?

I dragged Reeann and Rachel with me on a Wendy's run, which meant walking from the very east side of campus to the very west side of campus and beyond. They were good sports about it though, them being the kind souls that they are.

Remember my roommate who made an appearance in my post last week? Well, I edited some of the pictures I took, and I'm so excited about them that you get to see a few here, if you haven't already on Facebook.

I also get to take some pictures at the reception this weekend :). I would love to be a photographer for weddings and things like that. Just a side note. Now on to the spiritual thought I've got for you guys.

In Book of Mormon this week, we discussed two of my favorite Book of Mormon chapters - Alma 34 & 36 (especially 36). More specifically, we talked about the Atonement and prayer. Of course, there's the spiel about prayer in Alma 34:17-27, and there are some amazing verses at the end of the chapter (take a look at 40 and 41), but I love what Alma the Younger has to say Alma 36:
"[verse 3] I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day...[verse 27] And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me..." 
Remember Alma's story? He tried to destroy the church with the sons of Mosiah until an angel came and told him to stop, which led to him being in some sort of coma for three days, during which he felt the pains of his sins and was ultimately born of God. When Alma tells us that he has been supported in his afflictions, he knows what he is talking about. He experienced the Atonement firsthand. He tells us that he was "harrowed up" by the memory of his sins and "racked" with the pains of a damned soul. Only when he calls on Christ for mercy is he released from his pain. The Atonement makes it possible for us to be forgiven of our sins, to have them washed away. I loved the way my professor said it - "Let Jesus own your sins." He felt the pain that comes from the sins of every single person in the world . That means YOU! Not only did He suffer for our sins, but He also felt our punishments, the stupid things we do, the embarrassing things we do, our weaknesses, failures, depression, sicknesses, etc. That's what I love about the Atonement; Christ has personally experienced everything I have felt and will feel. He's ready to take it from us, we just have to give it to Him. How to do that has always confused me though. How do we give our pains to Christ? When I asked my professor, his response was very simple: Pour your heart out. Talk to Him in prayer, and then He will start shouldering the burdens. Notice, however, that verses 3 and 27 don't say that He will take them away, but that we will be supported. He won't necessarily take the burden away (although He can and occasionally does), but He will help carry it because we cannot do this alone. No matter how hard we might try or think we can, we can't. It is okay to rely on the Savior, and a lot of the time He will send friends and family to our aid. I know this is true with all of my heart. I have received support in my trials, and I know that the help I have received has come from my Heavenly Father every time. I encourage you to try this out for yourself, and I promise that the Savior will not fail you.