Women's Regional Conference

Today, the Relief Society sisters from more than forty stakes in the Idaho area gathered together in the BYU-Idaho Center, the building that is a miniaturized LDS Conference Center. The BYU-Idaho center seats 15,000 people. The LDS Conference Center seats 21,000. So our lovely new building is 6,000 seats smaller. What's amazing is that my school, BYU-Idaho, has only approximately 12,000 students attending a semester.

President Henry B. Erying said at the building's dedication, “I am not sure of what the Lord has planned for this university. Some future growth seems likely and the university seems to have been prepared to respond." I think it's awesome that we have been so blessed with leaders over my school who are open to revelation. Revelation is amazing.

Back to the Women's Regional Conference, Sister Julie Beck, the General Relief Society President spoke. It was amazing. My FHE sister told me that, recently, the regional conferences that she's attended have been more of a question and answer than a talk in Sacrament Meeting or General Conference. Sister Beck said:

Look, we've had a Relief Society meeting! Questions give us the opportunity to receive answers. Bring your questions to Relief Society and study and search for the answers together.

I thought that what she said was inspirational. I think that our church leaders are trying to show us what kind of meetings some of our meetings should be. That we should ask the questions that we feel inspired to ask. That we should work together in discovering the answers. Some of the other things I've really learned are as follows:

1. Prioritize correctly: There are things that are Most Essential, Necessary, and Nice to Do. The Most Essential things concern reading the scriptures daily, praying daily, etc. The Necessary things include working, shopping, having a house of order, etc. The things that are Nice to Do are watching movies, hobbies, interests, etc. But we must remember to take care of the most essential things first, remembering our covenants as we prioritize. We are not to run from our responsibilities.
   
2. Prepare for a mission: Many woman in the church wonder if they should go on a mission. But we must keep in mind that the gospel requires us to prepare for a mission. Perhaps you won't take 18 months and serve 24/7, but rather be married, be a mother, work, or whatever else. But preparing for a mission will prepare you for all of it. So prepare for a mission, thus you are prepared for any call.
   
3. Priesthood blessings: One lady asked how we are supposed to take advantage of the Priesthood and ask for blessings without abusing it? I thought that was an excellent question myself. Sometimes you'd like a blessing but you feel rather self-conscious about it because it seems that a blessing should be used in a serious situation, not just that you'd like one. I learned that if you feel like having one, get one. Heavenly Father would rather that His daughters ask too much than not receive a blessing when they need it.
   
4. Purposes of Relief Society: The purposes of Relief Society are to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen home and families, and finally, help those in need. Keeping these purposes in mind, you can gain a testimony of Relief Society. You can also make those goals for yourself and help those in your ward, even when you don't feel a part of Relief Society, Relief Society is more than the people in it. The Restoration was not complete until Relief Society was restored. There are two sides in the Lord's plan for his church; the male half and the female half. We women sometimes try to take over jobs in the male half for the church, but we should be working in our own area because they both are needed. They are companions. They go together.
   
5. Make a friend, be a friend: Sometimes sisters in Relief Society feel alone or judged or faced with spiteful people in the ward because of their life situation. The way to solve this is to never assume the sister you are talking to doesn't need something. Keep in mind the purposes of the Relief Society, and begin to help others in need in the ward. If there is a sister who is ill, visit even if she isn't your visiting teacheé. To make friends, first be a friend.
   
6. Find joy: Many suffer from the pains that come from children who lose their way off the strait and narrow path towards a fullness of joy. I learned that these parents should take after the example of our first parents, Adam and Eve. Eve was able to be glad for her transgression that caused them to have children. They were glad they had children. They were grateful for the chance to be able to learn right from wrong. They were glad for the Atonement and God's plan. They were able to be glad for these things, even as their children struggled and fell away. (Moses 5:10-11). I think that this is something we should all remember.
   
7. Eternal name of Mother: Women today are often told to be ambitious, set goals, achieve them, yet at the same time (at least in the church) are told to marry, have children, follow the Savior. Sometimes they contradict each other. But we must remember our prioritizes. First, we must realize that as women, our main purpose in life is to become so we can return to our Heavenly Father. Our main responsibility in life is to bring spirits into mortality and help them return to our Heavenly Father. We women, in this day and age, have been blessed to receive so many opportunities not offered to us before, but the best place we can use the talents that we've been blessed to receive (naturally or through hard work) is in the home. Our great-grandmothers have sacrificed so much for us, their children, yet now we want it easier? The Lord has given us gifts, gifts that could earn us fame and fortune, but He can call upon them at anytime. The best place for their use would be in the home.
   
8. We are spiritual beings: Too often we excuse behavior by saying it is in our genes. That we are related to animals and so our carnal side is natural. It is not natural. It is a part of mortality to struggle against it. "We are spiritual beings on earth having a mortal experience; not a mortal being occasionally experiencing spiritual experiences." This is so powerful. We are not mortal. We will die, but through the Atonement we will all live life whole again. We are experiencing mortality. We are not meant to be mortal forever. We have quite literally a divine heritage; we are divine.

These are some of the most powerful things I have learned today. I hope you've learned some things as well. It was a wonderfully amazing conference that I wish all could have attended.

Information Architecture and 'The Details That Matter'

Information Architecture

Well, here is another entry for my Web Design and Development class. Again, it is really interesting, I just wish sometimes that I had a more creative mind in making it apply to my goals in life. The textbook I have is called Interact with Web Standards: A Holistic Approach to Web Design. It’s a great textbook. Especially for such as me who does not understand most of the very basic principles. The chapters I’ve read this time were titled “Content Analysis” and “Content Strategy”. Both really great chapters. Here are 5 concepts that I think are important to recall:

   
1. Focus on the users: I would think that this is a no brainer. Don’t assume you know what the user wants. Conduct user interviews and surveys so you know exactly what they want.
   
2. Interviews and surveys: When asking questions include asking what they think (current perception), what’s their experience (history), how much they know (knowledge level), what they want (goals), what they do (tasks), what they like best/least (satisfaction level), how would they rank features (priorities), what they would suggest (opportunities for improvement).
   
3. Web analytics: You are not actually observing people and their behaviors. You are sifting through the tracks they left behind. Web statistics show you what happened, but they do not tell you why it happened.
   
4. Content strategy statement: it’s a guideline for anyone who will be creating or editing content for the site. Content for whom and why? What content? What style? Finable content? This is what needs to be considered.
   
5. Good content doesn’t just happen: Good content is the core of a good site. Don’t wait until the end of the project to discover that the quality needed is no where to be found.

“The Details That Matter”

As part of my assignment I am to read an article from AListApart.com. It’s a really interesting site. I found and article entitled “The Details That Matter” by Kevin Potts. He begins by telling us how the graphic arts industry used to be; with it’s professionals in each field. Since then there has been a “the lower cost of entry and increasing commoditization of design” which requires all in the field to have an eye for detail to succeed, elsewise they will fail. Potts says:

Only the luckiest website builders actually build websites all day. Most of us are also part-time proofers, project managers, usability experts, design critics, navigational architects, therapists for copywriters, and general go-to experts on all thing interweb. We are responsible for not only testing in different browsers, but for knowing which browsers our audience will use, and why. We have to sit in on conference calls and listen to people criticize our work and ask the same question nine times. We are responsible for checking the consistency of link treatment. Button design. Form functionality. Whether little decorative flourish A matches little decorative flourish B. We have to pay attention to a lot of stuff, and a lot of it falls well outside the sphere of design.

It’s important to recognize that a Web Designer is no just a Web Designer, he or she must have other skills in order to succeed. But the one skill to have would be an eye for detail, because if you do not have it and you miss something “it often leads to Old Testament, end-of-the-world stuff”. Every detail needs to be thought through: top to bottom, inside and out, Potts tells us. Else you may develop a bad reputation and it becomes rather hard to raise above it. But the thing to keep in mind is “creative professionals who can see all angles of a project are the ones who ultimately succeed in the industry.” I think any profession should require an eye for detail, but if it does not, and you pay attention to the details anyways, it’ll surely lead you to success with a great reputation.

Journals

I love my Journals and believe they have kept me sane. I received my first one when I was 8 years old. However, I didn't really get into journaling until I was a 6th grader headed off to Outdoor Ed. It was my first time away from home without any close friends for an extended time. The week previous to Outdoor ED, I had been sick and stayed at home, it was also the week I received my first pair of glasses.

In anycase, that's when I discovered all of what a journal could be: a friend and a place where I could order all of my thoughts. It was also a placed where I shared my experiences; experiences of a girl from the age of 11.5 years old to 19 years. Honestly, sometimes I would read what I wrote the day before and shake my head in laughter at the things I had written. I'm sure that someday these journals could share the thoughts and experiences of a teenager from the years 1999–2011. From a girl going from elementary school, to junior high school, then high school itself, and finally to college. It amazes me that it has only been a decade and so much has changed. Both in myself and in growing up as well as the world. I remember before the time technology became such a part of our lives, a 24/7 part of our lives. I remember the United States presidential election in 2000, then the 2008 election. I remember when 9/11 changed our lives. And currently I know of the Facebook/Twitter revolutions. Remembering all this and having much of it written down kinda scares me. I mean if all of this happened within a decade... what could happen in the next decade? and in the one after that?

I suppose I'd just make the best of it. I'd probably write it down in my journal.

Because of these many years of journaling, especially during the time when my mind was becoming wired, I seem to be able to only make sense of the thoughts churning in my head once I write them down. It's very hard for me to capture a thought and follow it to its end without writing it down as I do so. The writing actually captures the thought. In fact, I've been able to use that for much of my blogging. Often I have a vague idea of what I wish to write on, but it's only once its written that I've finally figured it out.

Journals can become anything you want them to. I don't write to a certain individual, in truth I just have a vague idea of an audience; a reader, I suppose, weither that reader is me, my future generations, or total strangers. I believe journals are written for self and for future. As previously mentioned, journaling organizes thoughts, but it also helps you become aware of yourself. How your inner thoughts actually work. Once that is discovered you realize what you need to change to become better. I mean, if what I had written sounded complaining, I realized that I was actually complaining. There's the proof in my journals written in my handwriting. But at the same time, it caused you to help you realize your self worth. Journals also helped me with neatening my handwriting. It was terrible and probably would have stayed terrible if not for the years of writing, and now? I have pretty great handwriting. It's now a talent. A journal also helps to discover what actions I should have done rather than what I had done. It has also helped with the keeping of memories and feelings of a certain time in my life. Journals can help you realize your goals, whether realizing that you have something as a goal or actually accomplishing it. Writing helps you with both.

I'm sure you know the many ways it could help those in later years, but just to remind you they can help educate another generation. They can tell the future what the past was like. They can show that there are many of the same struggles now as in the past, especially socially. They can teach principles. Journals can teach about life. That's something to recognize and value.

The reason for this post? Today, I started my 13th journal (not including an online one I plan to have published and sent to me when I have the money set aside). My 13th journal within 12 years. I'd like to say that's impressive. Especially considering the fact that my first several journals took more than one year to complete. Now, journals only take a few months. The one I've just finished was started Sunday, September 19, 2010. That's only 5 months. It's a great feeling to finish a journal. It's a great feeling to start a journal. I love the blank pages. To me they represent a future. A future that I'll record. A future that I could make anything happen, where anything could happen. I just love life. :D

(My 13 Journals)

Information Architecture and Internships

Information Architecture

My web design and development class requires us to write 5 important concepts about information architecture. However, I (as I am sure many of you) had no idea what information architecture was. Luckily for me the chapter actually defines it (a total surprise, of course). What an information architect does is analyze, organize and label information on websites so regular people can actually find what they are looking for. I suppose this means that information architects are not regular people... :D

   
1. Information architect responsibilities: develops documentation on the primary audience goals, persona(s) or fictional character representing the audience, current content inventory, competitive analysis, content strategy statement, content outline, content gap analysis, site diagram, page description diagrams and wireframes. They are very much involved with the website planning process.
   
2. Defining the project: requires an interview of the client, a project brief based on the information given by the client, document technical specifications for what they wish to have on the site, develop a maintenance plan of how often the site will be updated and reviewed, and create timelines for when each phase of the project will be done.
   
3. Interviewing the client: there should be a list of questions written out to gain information from the client. Preferably, try to give the client the list before the interview, thus the client will know the answers or have pondered on them, and so you can begin work. Do not give them the answers.
   
4. Project brief: simplifying all the information given in the interview into a one-page project brief. It’s to confirm that you understood what the client said they wanted/needed and you’ll use it to share the big picture with those working on the project.
   
5. Maintenance plan: the content must be kept complete, current and accurate. It’s important to clarify how the site will be maintained and who will be responsible for it.

These are all ideas that go great with web designing, but with that not being my particular goal in life, I see it as also a way to help with any company or business. These steps would help make any company successful with their costumers, and you could make it individualized: making sure the information is organized, making sure the project (any project) is defined, if there is a client make sure the you know what the client wants and then putting it into one page so all those involved can easily access it and know the big pictures. Finally, making sure everything is maintained; how often and who maintains it.

Internship

The Web Design and Development majors all have to have an internship. I do not believe with my English-Creative Writing major that an internship is required. However, during the in class discussion on this topic, I thought to how this could benefit me as well. It gives relevant work experience in your field of study. It offers a possibility of a full-time job opportunity and helps you discover what you do or don’t like. You also can rub shoulders with those who are experts in that area. Beginnings of a great networking if you work it right. I love how networking is basically an I-know-someone-who-knows-someone and it can get you a job. Also, an internship. Networking can cause you to end up where you want to be, but it’s amazing at how many connections you have, but you have to become aware of them and strengthen those connections. It’s recommended to make contact at least 3 to 6 months perviously. Our guest speaker said:

The internship should be done on the off-track semester, about your Junior Year. Begin to network by creating a list of people you know who may know someone. You are responsible to finding the place to intern at. Research some companies and industries you are interested in, one relevant to your major or minor. It’s recommended that you go to a paying internship rather than volunteer. Have it approved by the school before you accept.

It’s very possible to do multiple internships, but I’ll only receive credit for one. Though with me not having to even have an internship I do not know if I’ll gain any credit. But I think that this would be a great idea for me to do. It’d look great on any resume and give me great experience in the field of my choice, making it easier for me to get into that same field.

Alcatraz verses the Evil Librarians: Book Review

I loved this book. It was one of those books that gets you to think in a different way. The "author" of this book is actually the character Alcatraz Smedry. He says the book is actually autobiography rather than fiction and he went by the name Brandon Sanderson rather than his own as "both are guises to hide the book from Librarian Agents". One would assume that this book is about a boy who hates to read and has some sort of conflict with librarians, but of course, that is assuming that our normal frame of reference is the definition for these librarians. In this book, the Librarians are actually the people from the country of Libraria. The Librarians have taken over all of the world. Well, the world that we know of. See, the Librarians are for controlled information; information is power. Thus, every country we (the readers) have heard of is actually under the slavery of the Librarians, but no one knows it. Except those in the Free Kingdoms (continents that we from the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia have never hear of, because the Librarians have kept the information from us).
The book has a good plot, but it's the style of the writing that I'm extremely impressed with.
I believe that this book could be presented to those who think literature is boring, dull, and a method of torture. The author, Alcatraz, thinks so too. He's trying to tell everyone that he is not a very nice person, writing the books proves it. "Ask yourself this: would any decent, kindhearted individual become a writer? Of course not. I know how the story ends. ... But I am not a nice person. And so, I'm not going to reveal any of these things to you."
The author, Brandon Sanderson, wrote the book in such a way that you can feel the new neuron connections form while reading the book.
Again, I believe this book to be a great bridge for a person to begin to enjoy books. It has a fast-paced plot, but also presents new ideas and themes that cause you to think.

Letters

I love technology.

I really do.

The whole instant information, staying in contact with friends, easily converse with people miles or houses away, et cetera, is pretty miraculous.

But there is something to be said about receiving a letter through the mail.

When I was younger, my siblings and I would sit and play in our lawn waiting for the mailman to arrive, as the mailbox for the street was in front of our house. We became really good friends with the different people who'd deliver the mail. It was always great to see people receive mail in their box, even better when I'd see mail enter our box.

It wasn't often that there was a letter addressed to me at 6 years old, but there were the occasional Birthday Invitations or Thank You Cards, and I loved to get them. I was slightly jealous of my parents who'd receive mail all the time. It wasn't until I was older that I discovered their mail was mostly catalogs, bills and advertisements.

Being here in Idaho,

receiving mail from those on their missions,

wedding invitations,

and the occasional package from home,

it causes me to think more about this classic form of communication.

A letter means something.

It represents a friend.

A friend who took the time to write me a letter, typed or handwritten.

It represents that someone cares,

that they wanted to make sure you knew they remember you.

It represents an invitation into their lives and your's into their's.

It means that someone wishes to communicate and took the time to do so.

If receiving a letter means so much,

we should be sure to send a letter ourselves,

even if it is only a few words long.

Fold a piece of paper and stick a photo to the front and ta-dah! you have only the inside to write in, limiting how much you have to write, especially when you have no idea what it is you want to write about.

However, I've discovered that once I start writing to a person, suddenly I have a lot to say. So, I'd also recommend leaving room to write as little or as much as you'd like, but even the mistakes in a letter make it personable.

Letters are pretty amazing.

"To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart."

~Phyllis Theroux

Family Home Evening

In my student ward, I've been called and set apart as an FHE Group Leader, or in other words the "FHE Mom". I had this calling exactly a year ago and so I have an idea of what to do verses last time when I was thinking "Me?! I'm an incoming freshman!! Are you INSANE?"

Basically, my job entails making sure people are coming, or at least feel a part of a family.

FHE, for those of you who don't know, does not stand for "Family Home Entertainment" movies. Rather it stands for Family Home Evening. "It's a special time set aside each week that brings family members together and strengthens their love for each other, helps them draw closer to Heavenly Father, and encourages them to live righteously."

That's the goal of having FHE.

So in a student ward, this means that a few apartments are thrown together to create a family. The guys are FHE brothers, the girls are FHE sisters, your roommates are still your roommates.

There are two people who are called as FHE Group Leaders for each family; one's a girl and one's a guy. This is why I now have the honorary nickname of "FHE Mom".

Luckily for me my FHE group is pretty amazing.

We had a schedule planned out on what we wanted to do, when we wanted to do it, and which apartment was over what before I was even called. So I just reorganized it, put each of our family members contact info and birthday and e-mailed it to the FHE Dad to see if it was ok. He responded that it was and I proceeded to e-mail to everyone. After receiving an e-mail from my roommate, I realize that I had not actually attached the information to the e-mail, so I sent it out again, this time with the attachment.

In anycase, it can be difficult to plan activities, especially when no one really wants to go anywhere when it is freezing cold outside. Literally freezing cold, not just "oh it's cold" but the temperature says its negative-something degrees.

So I googled FHE activities and I discovered some really useful sites:

101 Family Home Evening Activities

100+ Quick and Easy Family Home Evening Activities

Family Home Evenings for a Year

But then I remembered a game I played the previous year called "If/Then".

Each person has a strip of paper and writes "If..." and then whatever they'd like. For example someone in my FHE group wrote "If Lady Gaga were president".

Then you fold up the paper and put it in the middle. Once everyone's paper is in the middle you grab one that is not your own and you write on the back "Then..." and answer the If statement. So you could write "Then I'd no longer have any hope in humanity" or some such craziness.

When that is done you fold it again and put it in the middle. Once everyone's is in you grab another.

Then the real fun begins.

The first person reads the "If statement" they picked up, the next person reads the "Then statement" they picked up. That same person then reads his "If statement" and the next the "Then statement".

For example, one person read "If Lady Gaga were president..." and the next person read their paper which said, "Then I'd curl up into the fetal position."

You go around until everyone has read both of their If/Then statements.

You can do as many rounds as you'd like.

It was great fun!

and we didn't even freeze.

Opportunties

I was reading the Ensign Feb. 2011 issue today when I came across the following phrase:

"Learn not to sacrifice hope in order to bury pain."

That really cause me to think.

How often is it that we do not reach and take a chance on an opportunity because we are afraid to fail?

"When you come to the edge of all you know

You must believe in one of two things:

You will be given earth on which to stand

Or you will be given wings."

~Unknown

I know that it is a frequent occurrence in my life, to be fearful of the unknown.

Sometimes I really do not want to take the chance of failure;

Falling can really hurt.

I'm comfortable where I am, thank-you-very-much.

But

Opportunities are marvelous things.

You can find them in every occurrence,

great or small.

Most times you must work to reach those Windows of Opportunities.

Often you can create these opportunities yourself,

through your actions and words and preparation.

You build more open doors;

more possible routes.

Many times there are numerous obstacles.

However, Marsha Sinetar says,

"Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the life you want."

Thus, prepare yourself, so when an opportunity comes your way,

you can take advantage of it.

Don't give up hope before you've even started.

Web Business

I have a class called Web Design and Development. It's an introductory course for those who wish to become Web Designers or Web Developers, or even both.

The class actually has no influence on my major or my minor, and I took it only because I wished to know more about Web Design. Someday I'd like to create a website for myself. The only problem is I currently have no specific purpose for it. So I'm taking the class to gain ideas and information, and then pass it along to my genius brother who is majoring in computer science.

He's a fella who can create a website. I'd like to think that I'm the person who can help design and come up with ideas. Though, it would be more of a blending of ideas because, well, he's a genius.

Last Friday in class, we had a guest speaker. His name is Kent Lundin. He teaches Web Business 250.

Web Business 250 is a class with no prerequisites. It's a class where you make and build an online business for the semester. Weither you have any experience with building a website or not.

There are a few steps he spoke about:

1. Choose a Business

2. Build a Site

3. Legal

4. Searching, SEO, Google

You learn of the process and gain tools to help you choose a successful business. Once that is done you build the site. You purchase a hosting and a domain name. You learn how to work with credit cards, etc. Then you learn of the legal things, like taxes.

The last step is what I think would be the most fun.

Getting people to come to your site and to return there.

Using Search Engine Optimization can help you become one of the top sites when people are googling or searching online for something that could work with your business. Taking advantage of the social media is also a great way to get word out there. Having ads is also something to consider.

Using Google Analytics you can see information about the people who visit your site. From it you can determine why it is someone stays or leaves the site and how you can convince people to stay on your site once they have arrived. Perhaps the design of the site needs to be tweaked. Or on one internet browser the website shows up excellently, but on another it does not.

You need to ask: Is this making or losing you money? What do you want them to do at your site?

You can learn from other sites too.

Why do you return to this site? What do you like about it? Why don't you visit this site? What don't you like about it?

Learning from these questions can help you better organize your own site in a way that it is attractive to many.

Yes. Someday I'll have a website and hopefully it'll be with my brother.

First I just need to get him to take the class. Though I think it'd be a beneficial skill for him to have anyways, especially considering his interests.

:D

Beastly: Book Review

I've just finished Beastly by Alex Flinn.

It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast in the modern era and from the Beast's perspective. I love it. Retelling of fairy tales are almost always excellent. But this one was particularly good with it being as true to the original tales as it could, yet still having original elements. It's also more realistic than many other retellings, but it is also very much a fairy tale with its occurrences. The Beast was originally the popular handsome guy who was a jerk to all those who he believed to be beneath him and not on his level. The entire thing was a great story, but I believe it could have been better if the connection to the fairy tale wasn't so obvious and whimsical. But it is a great book. I'd recommend it as a book to past time and to teach that the qualities that matter are on the inside of a person, and it's possible that you'll never learn the true workings of the person. Great book.

(www.alexflinn.com)