Individual Worth #3

"Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10 and 121:45. Do all you can to build others and make them feel of worth. Every day for two weeks notice the worthwhile qualities and attributes of others. Acknowledge them verbally or in writing. In your journal write what you have learned about the worth of individuals and how your own confidence grows when you build others."

People really are children of God. That's the number one thing I learned from doing this. When a person begins to notice all the worthwhile qualities and attributes of another it's hard not to recognize the divine worth of each individual. Just like D&C 18:10, "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God," I feel like I got a glimpse of what God sees in others. I saw their personalities; I could appreciate their characteristics. I don't really know how to describe the wonder and awe I feel when I glimpse the divine nature of each individual. Every person is a son or daughter of God. That's what I saw and it's hard to describe.

I didn't only glimpse what God saw in others, but by that glimpse I saw a little more of what God sees in me. I didn't really expect that, but it happened. As I saw the divine nature in others and saw a bit of why God loves His children so much, I came to have a greater understanding of myself. I came to understand that I, too, am a child of God. I've known that my whole life. However, I came to a greater understanding of who I am. Knowing who I am and knowing that I am loved by God because I am His child, that gives me confidence. As I notice the positive characteristics in others, I am more aware of my own positive qualities. I think that sometimes we are really hard on ourselves, but as we notice the good in others, we notice the good in ourselves.

A Girl's Lesson: The Worth of Men

"Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Female and Male. I'm an advocate for both. I believe in equal opportunity and being equal in our differences. We are all God's children and posses our individual right to choose good from bad; as such, we are all equal before God regardless of gender, of physical or mental difficulties, of nationality, of heritage, etc.

Men are taught to respect women, to charish them, to protect them. Many people of the world, sadly, think that such a man who takes his divine responsibilities seriously–presiding in love and righteousness  and providing the necessities of life and protection–are rare. They think that men who are courteous and kind, helpful and serviceable are either trying to be self-serving or deceiving. I want to share with you that I have met men who are genuinely caring, sacrificing, and responsible.

Principles of a Successful Marriage and Family

"Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

The other day, I was wondering if my little family consisting of my husband and myself have implemented the principles mentioned in the above quote. Do we have habits fostering these principles?

Personal Progress Project

I know I'm no longer in the Young Women's program for the girls 12-18 years old. In fact, I'm even married now! My married student ward doesn't even have young women; so I don't even have an opportunity to serve with them. While I was in Young Women's, I had completed Personal Progress and earned my medallion.

Here's a video that was even put together by my mother and shown at my YW's Recognition:

In the year before I graduated, the new Young Women's value "Virtue" was added and a little insert was given to include in the Personal Progress booklet. Eventually, they published a new Personal Progress booklet including the new value both in the YW theme and as another thing to complete. They even slightly changed some of the experiences to complete, included True to the Faith as a resource. Even the medallion looked new! They added a red gem to the necklace.

Gratitude Journal

This last Sunday in Relief Society we studied President Thomas S. Monson words in "Consider the Blessings" from this October 2012 General Conference. We were asked to consider the following questions:

• What are you grateful for? What are your blessings?
• What are the rewards you receive for recognizing your blessings?
• What are ways as a family we can be grateful?

I'd like to focus on my personal answers and for you to consider your own.

Natural Calamities and Repentance

I've been studying the Doctrine and Covenants the last few months, but yesterday's study really caused me to have a very, very strong Ah-ha Moment. I'm going to try to articulate it here.

I read the words of God in section 45 which seems to focus on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and what we should be doing. Accompanying this reading, I studied words of prophets and apostles in "Section 45 'Looking Forth for the Great Day of the Lord'" from the Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual.

It was the combination of these two readings that created my Ah-ha Moment.

The majority of people know that Christians believe that signs of the Second Coming include wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilences, troubles in divers places (Matt. 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11; D&C 45:33; JS-M 1:29). There are a lot of other signs, but these are just a few.

Family Mission Statement

A Family Mission Statement is "a written statement of what you want your life and family to be and the values by which you will live your life" (Families with a Purpose).

I've been learning about this in my online Parenting class. One of my assignments required me to write one for myself, or with my husband if I was married. Obviously I am. So for Family Home Evening we began work on a rough draft.

A family mission statement involves the whole family in its creation which means that the whole family has a clear knowledge of what the family values and what the family's goal is. Ideally this means the whole family works together for the goal.

Married: Now what?

I've given Advice To Fiancées and the Phase 2 of Wedding Letters: The Thank You Cards. But now that I'm finally married to a wonderful man and more settled into my life, I thought I would share a few things I've learned.

Before arriving at your home, make sure the utilities are on and working. It depends on the deal you have with the owners, if you are paying utilities yourself or not, but make sure the water, electricity, gas, and plumbing are on. Make sure you have garbage services as well. This way, when you arrive, you can get a drink of water and anything else as needed.

The first thing to do upon your arrival in your new home is to buy a new mattress. This way, if nothing else, you have a place to sleep at the end of your first day settling in. Hopefully, you and your spouse have already gone to different mattress stores to get an idea of what you wanted and how much it would cost. As newlyweds, you generally receive a nice amount of cash that could help purchase the mattress you desire. I would recommend looking at outlet stores where the mattresses are brand new, but have a random dent or something that cuts down the prices several hundred dollars.

You don't have to unpack everything immediately. Sometimes you don't have a place for things yet. For example, a dresser or hangers for your clothes. It's okay to still use your suitcase of stuff. Don't feel rushed. You'll get there. Just do what you can each day.

Phase 2 of Wedding Letters: The Thank You Cards

I've been working on Thank You cards in response to the wedding gifts my husband and I have received a few months ago. There has been a few things I realized while I've been working on them that I wish to share with those who aren't quite sure what to do for Thank You cards.

1. Don't rush. You want the person receiving the card to know how much you appreciate them and their gift. Time is one of the greatest gifts you can give to someone. Take time on each card. Don't try to get them done in a short amount of time.
2. Be sincere and honest. My husband and I loved all of our gifts. Occasionally we had duplicates of things, but we were so grateful to have too many than to not have one at all. When thanking the person for their gift, really mean it. Find something you love about every gift and mention it to the person who gave it to you. For example, "I just wanted to say how grateful we are for the colander you gave us! We've love using it for our pasta nights or quickly rising vegetables for a stew. Thank you so much." Don't make up a fake reason why you are thankful for it; it reads falsely, and you want to show your sincere thanks to someone.
3. Thank them for who they are, not just what they gave you. This takes longer, which is why time is valuable. It can be hard to know all of your guests. But call your parents and your in-laws. Ask them for some basic information on those you don't know. Mention your gratitude for their presence in your life, in your spouse's life, in your parents' lives, in your siblings' lives, and why. Thank them for always being cheerful. Or always having an open home. Or guiding you. Or being a wonderful example. Etc. Make it personal. Express your gratitude for them.
4. Handwrite them. It doesn't have to be much. Write three or four sentences. But write them by hand. It expresses more of the time you were willing to give to really thank them for what they gave you.

My favorite part of writing these cards is the response I receive from them. "I wanted to send her a thank you card for the thank you card." You can brighten someone's day if you take the time and opportunity. And that, well, it brightens your own.

Advice To Fiancées

I'm getting married in 22 days. As I'm sure many of you that are married or engaged have realized, the wedding date is very apt at sneaking upon you like a lightening-fast ninja. I've been blessed enough in my own life to have had a little over three months from the moment I was engaged to the date of our wedding.

In my engagement time period, I've had numerous friends who have also gotten engaged or are on the verge of doing so. Having friends riding in a parallel engagement boat as you is a relief; my own little support group. That's what I think the world needs, support groups for fiancées and fiancés. It's helped so much. Each couple have discovered knowledge and tips about the process of getting married and share it so we all benefit. It works especially well when all the couples are in the same location during the engagement, even if they are getting married in different states.

You know how I mentioned that I have friends at the very beginning stages of being engaged? Well, these friends are starting to freak out (totally reasonable) and know that since I was a totally rational person during my own engagement (not), I've found they've come to me for information and wisdom, as if I knew all there is to know about being engaged.

Let me warn you now that I am no such source. Yes, I have definite experience in this area, but only for myself. I have no idea how helpful it would be to others. While this information will hopefully be helpful to all brides-to-be, it's more towards brides-to-be that are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

But I'll share with you what I've discovered in hopes that it helps.

My Book of Mormon Goal

Back on Monday, November 7, 2011, I began my goal of reading the Book of Mormon and blogging about it daily. It was planned to be done today, Thursday, July 3, 2012, if I followed through with writing about one chapter a day. And I've done it. I've completed my goal.

I just want to share with you that I know the Book of Mormon is true. In reading it, trying to figure out a lesson from each chapter, I know it is true. It has blessed my life being able to read it. Often times I thought about how I could possibly find the time to really study a chapter a day. But I've been able to do it. During the Winter Semester, I was taking 18 credits of college courses (which I hadn't realized until halfway through). Then, during the Spring Semester, I've been attending school and planning my wedding and marriage (because I'm engaged and getting married soon, in case you weren't aware). When I made time to study the scriptures, I discovered that I was more prepared for the day. That I could get done everything else that needed to be done. I was blessed in having my heavy load of difficult homework assignments, homework assignments I didn't think I could properly complete, be done and be done early. Homework assignments and tests that I had enough time for and earned great grades on them. Please, please read the Book of Mormon. It will bless your life.

In August of 2005, President Gordon B. Hinckley gave everyone a challenge:

"We studied the Book of Mormon in Sunday School this past year. Nonetheless I offer a challenge to members of the Church throughout the world and to our friends everywhere to read or reread the Book of Mormon. If you will read a bit more than one and one-half chapters a day, you will be able to finish the book before the end of this year. Very near the end of its 239 chapters, you will find a challenge issued by the prophet Moroni as he completed his record nearly 16 centuries ago. Said he: 

'And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God; and the Lord God will say unto you: Did I not declare my words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead, yea, even as one speaking out of the dust? … 

'And God shall show unto you, that that which I have written is true' (Moro. 10:27, 29). 

"Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God" ("A Testimony Vibrant and True").

I'd just like to add that I know my Savior Jesus Christ lives. I know he loves me. I know that through him I can repent and return to my Heavenly Father, who also loves me. I know the Book of Mormon is true and it has blessed my life in a multitude of ways. Please read and study it for yourselves. How grateful I am for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

If you would like to know more about the Book of Mormon and what members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in, you can meet with the missionaries here.

Here are my blog posts about each chapter in the Book of Mormon:

Moroni 10

"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God" (32).

Come unto Christ and be made perfect in Him. The Book of Mormon teaches entirely about Jesus Christ and his atonement. He loves us. He wants us to be perfected in Him. He has made it possible. I hope we each take steps everyday to become a little closer to him.

Moroni 9

I cried while reading Moroni 9. It's so sad to see people who were civilized, blessed and delightsome fall so far as to lose their love for others. They thirsted after blood and revenge continually (5). How sad. They became a people without civilization (11).

As individuals, families, and a people, we need to learn how to be forgiving. We need to learn to love others. A society where there is a lack of forgiveness and a lack of love for others falls apart. They don't work. They don't progress. They destroy themselves.

Moroni 8

"For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing—" (22).

I read this and I immediately thought of my uncle who has down syndrome. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a website about Disability Resources located at LDS.org/disability. Within it was the following, which fits very well with this particular chapter:

Q: What are the guidelines as to whether or not a child with an intellectual disability may be baptized? 

A: This is a matter between parents, the child, and local priesthood leaders. If the child has a basic understanding of gospel principles and wishes to be baptized, then baptism may be possible.

What can we do? How can we be respectful of the Children of God with disabilities?

Moroni 7

Moroni 7 is probably my most favorite chapter within the Book of Mormon. Moroni quotes a teaching made by his father Mormon where he speaks of faith, hope, and charity.

When you are a peaceable follower of Christ, you find you have obtained hope to enter the rest of the Lord which is spiritual rest. You don't have to worry about things of the world. You know that you have the eternities as long as you do what is right, and you follow Christ (3-4).

You will know those who are followers of Christ because of what they do. If what they do is good, then they are also good (5). People being evil cannot do good because it doesn't benefit them, unless they do it with real intent (6). If a gift is given grudgingly it is counted as if it hadn't been given (8). Those that are followers of Christ are selfless. They care and love others. They give with real intent of heart.

Also, this chapter contains one of my most favorite scriptures, Moroni 7:13:

"But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God."

Moroni 6

I love Moroni 6. It shows how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the restored church from the one Jesus Christ organized among the ancient people long ago.

Moroni 5

Elder L. Tom Perry gave a talk entitled "The Sabbath and the Sacrament" in the April 2011 General Conference.

Moroni 4

Why is the Sacrament so important?

"Today the sacrament is an ordinance in which Church members partake of bread and water in remembrance of Jesus Christ's atoning sacrifice. This ordinance is an essential part of worship and spiritual development. Through this ordinance, Church members renew the covenants they made with God when they were baptized" ("Sacrament").

Within the Sacrament prayer of the bread, we are to eat in remembrance of the body of Jesus Christ. We are to always remember him. We are to keep his commandments. We should do this that we may always have his spirit to be with us (3).

We are to have Jesus Christ the center of our lives. Ways you can do that: pray morning and night, read the scriptures daily, serve others. Everything you do you should have Christ be the center of it all. Have your focus be on Christ.

Moroni 3

"In the name of Jesus Christ I ordain you to be a priest (or if he be a teacher, I ordain you to be a teacher) to preach repentance and remission of sins through Jesus Christ, by the endurance of faith on his name to the end. Amen" (3).

From this I learn that ordained priests and teachers are to preach repentance. They are to preach remission of sins. Both which are made possible only through Jesus Christ. They are to preach the way to do so is through endurance of faith on Jesus Christ.

Endure to the end. Stay faithful in Christ. Be righteous. Do good continually. Preach good to the world.

Moroni 2

"The words of Christ, which he spake unto his adisciples, the twelve whom he had chosen, as he laid his hands upon them—


"And he called them by name, saying: Ye shall call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done this ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles" (1-2).


I believe there are several lessons to learn from this.

Moroni 1

The entirety of Moroni 1 could be posted upon this post. It's simply four verses long. But it's where he says: "And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life" (3).

If I were in Moroni's position could I also stand up for my beliefs? Not just my beliefs, but my testimony, the things I know to be truth? I think I could. God grants man a lot of strength when we are doing what we are supposed to do. I wouldn't, and don't, fear death. Why? Because it's only a phase. I've lived my life the best I could, and when I make mistakes I work hard to correct them, to repent. Obviously, death is a grievous thing and you do your best to avoid it. But don't ever deny Christ, else you truly will be lost forever.

Ether 15

Ether 15 is the last chapter in Ether. Within it shows the destruction of an entire people. "There had been slain two millions of mighty men, and also their wives and their children" (2). That wasn't the end of it. It was only the beginning of the destruction of the people. There were two million. Then, because of their hardness of heart and hatred for others, they destroyed themselves.

You hear over and over the promise made in the Book of Mormon which reads: "Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written" (Ether 2:12).

Ether 14

The Jaredite leaders worked by whatever means necessary to gain power and prestige. This resulted in many murders and assassinations. This in turn caused feelings of hatred, anger, and revenge. So much so that they would kill everyone that wasn't with them. Whether it be women and children or people who weren't on either side.


How do we combat such feelings? How do we not destroy each other and ourselves?


Forgiveness.


It's such a hard thing. It really is. 

Ether 13

The New Jerusalem is Zion. There will be three Zion cities: Jerusalem, the City of Enoch, and New Jerusalem (Book of Mormon Manuel 380).

How do we start building Zion now?

Elder D. Todd Christofferson said:

"Zion is Zion because of the character, attributes, and faithfulness of her citizens. Remember, 'the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them' (Moses 7:18). If we would establish Zion in our homes, branches, wards, and stakes, we must rise to this standard. It will be necessary (1) to become unified in one heart and one mind; (2) to become, individually and collectively, a holy people; and (3) to care for the poor and needy with such effectiveness that we eliminate poverty among us. We cannot wait until Zion comes for these things to happen—Zion will come only as they happen" ("Come to Zion").

Begin having a common purpose for good. Worship God. Care for each other. Work on doing all you can to help building His kingdom.

Ether 12

I think I understand Faith a little more than I did prior. I recalled that Ether 12 was very similar in structure and topic as Hebrews 11. I remember Hebrews to be a required reading for Faith Experience #1 in Personal Progress. I also remembered not really understanding it as a child.

I understood that "faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; . . . for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith" (6). I understood that to mean that you have faith when you have a sure belief in something real, but you can't experience it with the 5 senses of taste, touch, sight, sound, smell. I understood that as a young 12-year-old, but I didn't understand the summary of the ancient prophets in relation to faith. Yes, ok. They had to have faith in order to work miracles. That's all I really understood.

Ether 11

"And it came to pass that the people hardened their hearts, and would not hearken unto their words; and the prophets mourned and withdrew from among the people" (13).

When people stop listening to the prophets the end is near for that people. The prophets speak the words of God. God loves his children and wants to lead them in safely through life. But if people don't listen, then they fall and suffer harm.

President Henry B. Eyring said:

“Looking for the path to safety in the counsel of prophets makes sense to those with strong faith. When a prophet speaks, those with little faith may think that they hear only a wise man giving good advice. Then if his counsel seems comfortable and reasonable, squaring with what they want to do, they take it. If it does not, they consider it either faulty advice or they see their circumstances as justifying their being an exception to the counsel. Those without faith may think that they hear only men seeking to exert influence for some selfish motive. . . . 

“Every time in my life when I have chosen to delay following inspired counsel or decided that I was an exception, I came to know that I had put myself in harm’s way. Every time that I have listened to the counsel of prophets, felt it confirmed in prayer, and then followed it, I have found that I moved toward safety” ("Finding Safety in Counsel").

Ether 10

"And he did do justice unto the people, but not unto himself because of his many whoredoms; wherefore he was cut off from the presence of the Lord" (11).

President Harold B. Lee once said:

"As I have prayerfully thought of the reasons why one chooses this course which is dramatically described by the prophet Isaiah—when one who has departed from the path which would have given him peace is like the troubled sea, casting up mire and dirt—it seems to me that it all results from the failure of the individual to have self-respect" ("Understanding Who We Are Brings Self-Respect").

Ether 9

"And it came to pass that Coriantum did walk in the steps of his father, and did build many mighty cities, and did administer that which was good unto his people in all his days" (23).

There was a talk given by Pres. Henry B. Eyring entitled "Help Them on Their Way Home". His opening words are:

"Brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father wants and needs our help to bring His spirit children home to Him again. I speak today of young people already within His true Church and so are started on the strait and narrow way to return to their heavenly home. He wants them to gain early the spiritual strength to stay on the path. And He needs our help to get them back to the path quickly should they begin to wander."

We have a responsibility to teach our children. To guide them. To administer to them. Coriantum had a father who taught him. He did great things in his days. He turned around and administered unto his people that which was good. I think we can learn from him in this way.

President Eyring's full talk is as follows:

Ether 8

Live righteously.

In Ether, Moroni wrote:

"Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved" (26).

Live righteously and do that which is good continually. When you do this, evil is done away with.

Ether 7

Why do prophets and other good people stand for what is right and preach what is true when they know they will be teased, mocked, and perhaps persecuted for their beliefs?

Elder Robert D. Hales said:

“Prophets must often warn of the consequences of violating God’s laws. They do not preach that which is popular with the world. . . . 

“Why do prophets proclaim unpopular commandments and call society to repentance for rejecting, modifying, and even ignoring the commandments? The reason is very simple. Upon receiving revelation, prophets have no choice but to proclaim and reaffirm that which God has given them to tell the world” ("'If Thou Wilt Enter into Life, Keep the Commandments'").

Ether 6

The past few days I've been thinking about how light is always in connection to God and his people. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been told over and over again that we are to shine forth.

President Gordon B. Hinckley, a man of God I truly love and miss, said:

Ether 5

In the beginning of the Book of Mormon we have been blessed with the testimony of the Three Witnesses, the Eight Witnesses, and the Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon itself is it's own witness. And then Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost also bear record.

The scriptures read:

"And behold, ye may be privileged that ye may show the plates unto those who shall assist to bring forth this work; 

"And unto three shall they be shown by the power of God; wherefore they shall know of a surety that these things are true. 

"And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shown forth the power of God and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record—and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last day" (2-4).

Just read the Book of Mormon. Read it and apply it's teachings. You will discover the Book is true. You will discover the plan God has for us and what has occurred before we were born and after we die. Just read it. Please

Ether 4

"But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good.

"And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world" (11-12).

What is one factor in knowing the Book of Mormon is true? It persuades men to do good.

Anything that persuades men to do good is of God. For good comes only by God.

When you have a good thought. When you have a moment thinking about something that you should do, and it is good. Do it.


Anything good comes from God. The more you are obedient to Him and the more quickly obedient. The more you will be blessed.

Think good thoughts. Act immediately on all good thoughts.

You'll be blessed.

Promise.

Ether 3

"Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men" (5).

The Lord can do anything. Why don't we lay more trust in him? He can do anything. How awesome is that? We can rely on him. He will bless our lives in unimaginable ways. I can't even count how many times he has blessed me in the past few months, let alone my whole life.

His great power looks small unto the understanding of men. Some of the blessings I have been blessed with are small and simple things. Things that others may just consider luck or happenstance or not a miracle. To me, they are. To me, those blessings were huge in my life. As long as I recognized it as well. Sometimes it's hard to recognize all the blessing I've received. I know I've missed lots that I've been blessed with. But I've begun to notice more and more of the blessings as I took the time to look for them. Sometimes it amazes me at how great God is. He can bless us through something so small to our understanding that we may miss it. He's awesome.

Ether 2

The brother of Jared prayed unto God saying that he had done everything He had commanded him, but will they have light in their barges? (22).

You need to be obedient to what God has already commanded you to do. While doing that, pray. Ask for help. Ask for guidance. While waiting for an answer, try to work it out. God has blessed every individual with a mind and agency. Then when we make a decision we can go to God in faith and ask him if it is right and if he will help.

Russell M. Nelson said:

"Often I have heard [Gordon B. Hinckley] say, 'I don’t know how to get anything done except getting on my knees and pleading for help and then getting on my feet and going to work'" ("Spiritual Capacity").

Ether 1

The brother of Jared, or Mahonri Moriancumer, prayed unto God about three things:

1. That their language will not be confounded (34).
2. That those who are their friends will not have their language confounded (36).
3. If they will be going out of their land, and if so, where? (38).

His prayers were answered because "this long time ye have cried unto me" (43). Spencer W. Kimball has said:

“Do you get answers to your prayers? If not, perhaps you did not pay the price. Do you offer a few trite words and worn-out phrases, or do you talk intimately to the Lord? Do you pray occasionally when you should be praying regularly, often, constantly? Do you offer pennies to pay heavy debts when you should give dollars to erase that obligation? 

“When you pray, do you just speak, or do you also listen? Your Savior said, ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.’ (Rev. 3:20.) 

“. . . Should we ever fail to get an answer to our prayers, we must look into our lives for a reason” (“Prayer").

We should pray. Pray, and constantly be obedient. Be sincere and persistent in your prayers. But always be obedient to the Lord too.

Mormon 9

Moroni calls for repentance. He doesn't want anyone to suffer what his people suffered. He wants people to live with God and be joyous and happy. But because we are mortal we all need to repent. Any spot that we have needs to be washed away that we may be clean when we stand before God. We want to "be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day" (6).

President Spencer W. Kimball said:

“As repentance gets under way, there must be a deep consciousness of guilt, and in that consciousness of guilt may come suffering to the mind, the spirit, and sometimes even to the body. In order to live with themselves, people who transgress must follow one or the other of two alternatives. The one is to sear their conscience or dull their sensitivity with mental tranquilizers so that their transgression may be continued. Those who choose this alternative eventually become calloused and lose their desire to repent. The other alternative is to permit remorse to lead one to total sorrow, then to repentance, and finally on to eventual forgiveness. 

"Remember this, that forgiveness can never come without repentance. And repentance can never come until one has bared his soul and admitted his actions without excuses or rationalizations. He must admit to himself that he has sinned, without the slightest minimization of the offense or rationalizing of its seriousness, or without soft-pedaling its gravity. He must admit that his sin is as big as it really is and not call a pound an ounce. Those persons who choose to meet the issue and transform their lives may find repentance the harder road at first, but they will find it the infinitely more desirable path as they taste of its fruits (“The Gospel of Repentance").

In Memory of Alandra

My 1st year with my JC Alandra at Girl's Camp 2003 at Camp Liahona. 

I turned 12 years old in June of 2003. I was so excited. It meant I was all grown up and was in Young Women's. I was the only girl from my ward turning 12 that year. So I was kinda scared. All the other girls were so much more grown up than I was. Even though I thought was grown up, I wasn't really grown up, and I knew that.

However, in my journal I wrote:

"I'm in Young Women's now. I got a lot of things. I got 5 letters, got door bell ditched with candy. I love it."

I was so grateful. It made me feel so welcomed and loved. I was only 12 and wasn't very good at recording information that would be nice to know later, such as who it was that wrote me or dropped off the candy, but as a general shout-out to all the young women and young women's leaders of the time: Thank you, it meant a lot.

It was July 21, 2003 when I arrived at my first year of Girl's Camp. I was so frightened. I didn't know anyone my age. "Not one of them go to my school," I wrote. However, I remember being so grateful that my Junior Counselor (JC) was Alandra Neilson. She was a 5th year. Which means she was about 4 years older than I was. She seemed like she was already grown up, especially from my perspective, but I was so grateful to have a familiar face in my group. Because I honestly knew no one and I knew her a little bit because she was from my ward.

Girl's Camp 2003 at Camp Liahona. My 1st year with my group.

That year at Girl's Camp was so wonderful to me. Alandra just gather all of us little first years under her arm and made life so fun for us. That was the year that our little group had JIF, the peanut butter, as our mascot. I don't know how many of you remember that year of craziness. But that was my group led by Alandra, who we just love. We did this one skit where we were acting as poor little first years (which we were) and pretended we didn't know about the purposes of peanut butter. One girl scooped up some peanut butter and was like: "I think this is shampoo!" and then would put it in her hair. Another girl used it as deodorant. Another as shaving cream. etc. I used is as toothpaste. Well, Alandra would then come around and say: "Silly, that's not what it's used for!" She scooped it off each of us, slapped it on a piece of bread and said, "This is what it's used for!" and ate it. We were all so grossed out. lol. But I don't think anyone, even myself, realized at how influential she was.

She was the one who had us be so outrageous that I was comfortable in being myself. Perviously, I was very reserved and quiet until I became comfortable. But she caused me so be so crazy so quickly, that I could be normal. I don't know if that quite makes sense. But that's what happened and I am soooo thankful. I honestly believe that my initial year of Girl's Camp set the tones to all the following years. I tried to be like Alandra. I tried to make every girl comfortable and have an enjoyable experience at Girl's Camp. I tried to make sure each younger girl from my ward had a great time by going around and seeing how they were, saying hi whenever I saw them.

I clearly remember my own 5th year when I was a JC at Girl's Camp. I was also put in charge of a group of girls and one of them was the only girl of her year from my homeward. I tried so hard to be for her and the other girls what Alandra was for me. She made me a true part of Girl's Camp. She was so creative. Honestly, that takes talent. I mean, being able to come up with ideas for ditties or skits. Alandra was soo good at that! I really wished I had her number on a phone and could have reached her from Girl's Camp just so I could have some ideas. Her advice would have been so beneficial.

At the end of every day while at Girl's Camp, we are given a little devotional from our JC. I don't remember what it was that Alandra shared, but I do remember really thinking. I remember thinking how great Girl's Camp was that we learned more about the principles of the gospel every day.

When I came home after that week, I knew every song sung at Girl's Camp and could act them out. I knew where everything was. All thanks to Alandra.

Ever since then I felt as though we were really good friends. I remember one of the first times I went to the Single's Branch in 2009, Alandra went with me.


I'm going to miss her terribly.

Until we meet again Alandra.


The services are on Saturday, June 9th at 11am at the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building located at 4300 Dale Rd in Modesto.

Alandra Mae Neilson's Obituary is located here.

Girl's Camp 2004 at Treasure Mountain. My 2nd year.

We have a perfect hope in God and know that all people who have died will be resurrected through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. All. 

But I'm going to miss her horribly in the meantime.

"And because of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave.

"And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel" (2 Nephi 9:11-12).

"But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.

"He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death" (Mosiah 16:8-9).

"Now, behold, I have spoken unto you concerning the death of the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body. I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption" (Alma 11:45).

Mormon 8

After reading this chapter, I was trying to think of what to say. This chapter hit me rather hard. I was imagining myself in the place of Moroni. All alone. Literally. Having my people be totally destroyed. It sounds like a plot for fiction, a plot for a story, a plot for some TV show. But it was actual events more horrific than any fiction story.

Once upon a time, there was a man called Mormon who was one of the only good men left among all the inhabitants of the land. He was called to lead men into battle at the age of 16. In the midst of such leadership, he collected the records of all his people from beyond the beginning of their arrival in the Americas. He began his job of historian and summarizing his people's history. He noticed the similarities of his time with those of ancient times. He recognized the fulfillment of prophecies made hundreds of years pior. He knew that the people of his day were actively rejecting the guidance of God, such guidance that had saved his ancestors time and time again. Such guidance that, when rejected, brought dispair and destruction again and again among those in history. He knew it was going to happen again.

He saw all of his people die. He himself was killed in battle. His son saw this. His son, Moroni, also saw that those that had tried to escape were killed. Moroni was witness to the total destruction of his people. He was the only one left. He no longer had kindred. He no longer had friends. He no longer had anywhere to go. He no longer had a people. How long he was going to live, he didn't know. He was alone. His entire purpose is to "write the sad tale of the destruction of my people. But behold, they are gone, and I fulfill the commandment of my father. And whether they will slay me, I know not" (3).

Supporting the Missionaries

I've mentioned it time and time again, but I love writing missionaries. I really hope that each of you write at least one missionary throughout his mission. Missionaries are special individuals who have been set apart for a period of time to share the Gospel. Receiving letters from missionaries picks up your spirit. They are so full of the gospel and they share their testimony with you and strengthen your own testimony.

I have a friend, Elder Ludwig, serving a mission in Japan who wrote me the following:

"I wish I could share with you all that I have learned and experienced on my mission. I think that would be impossible. I suppose the biggest thing would have to be love. I feel as though my capacity to love others, to show love, to be loved, and share it has grown dramatically. If only I could explain it. I have made eternal friends. I really, truly love my mission."

How can you not love missionaries? How can you not want to write them?

I'm keeping a blog for my brother, Elder Walker, and another of my friends, Elder Remington. (FYI, if you want to have a blog kept for your missionary, contact me). Then there is Elder Barton and Elder Burnham who have their own blog. I've also kept in touch and written all the missionaries that I know pretty well. It's so great to read what they write. They are always so spiritual. They are always learning. Always open to learning. I love writing them. Please, please write them. The missionary and yourself will be blessed. We are all to serve one another, and this is how I've best been able to serve and support our missionaries.

Mormon 7

In this chapter, Mormon speaks to the "remnant of this people who are spared," the Lamanites (1). He speaks direct to them and lists off several things he wants them to know:

1. Know they are of the house of Israel (2).
2. Know they must come unto repentance, or they cannot be saved (3).
3. Know they must lay down their weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall command them (4).
4. Know they must come to the knowledge of their fathers, and repent of all their sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ (5).
5. Know they are a remnant of the seed of Jacob (10).

Mormon 6

23,000. That's the number representing the last of the Nephite men, women, and children. It's the number representing how many people were killed on hill Cumorah 1438 years before Joseph Smith found the record of these once great Nephite people. After this battle, only 24 survived with Mormon, along with a few who escaped into the south countries and a few who had deserted over to the Lamanites (15). "Their flesh, and bones, and blood lay upon the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those who slew them to molder upon the land, and to crumble and to return to their mother earth" (15).

Every time I reach this point in the scriptures, I just cry. They were pretty much massacred. What's even worse was that it could have been avoided, if only they had not rejected God. God gives us commandments so that we may be safe, prosperous, and one day return to Him. He loves us and wants us to succeed in mortality. So he gives us commandments to follow. But the Nephite people reject Him.

Mormon 5

"Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God?" (23).

It's important to recognize God's presence in your life. Just looking at the world around us and you'll see evidence of him. There's a song that is my brother's favorite. It's called:

My Heavenly Father Loves MeClara W. McMaster 

Whenever I hear the song of a bird
Or look at the blue, blue sky,
Whenever I feel the rain on my face
Or the wind as it rushes by,
Whenever I touch a velvet rose
Or walk by our lilac tree,
I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world
Heav'nly Father created for me. 

He gave me my eyes that I might see
The color of butterfly wings.
He gave me my ears that I might hear
The magical sound of things.
He gave me my life, my mind, my heart:
I thank him rev'rently
For all his creations, of which I'm a part.
Yes, I know Heav'nly Father loves me.

Looking at all the things he has given us, how can we not recognize God's presence? He's given us so much and wants to give us even more. He shelters us. He blesses us. We are in his hands. Trust him. Recognize him.

Mormon 4

Stay strong in the gospel and in truth, light and righteousness. You will be protected, for the wicked destroy themselves.

"But, behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed" (5). 

Mormon 3

Mormon said of the Nephite people he had led:

"Behold, I had led them, notwithstanding their wickedness I had led them many times to battle, and had loved them, according to the love of God which was in me, with all my heart; and my soul had been poured out in prayer unto my God all the day long for them; nevertheless, it was without faith, because of the hardness of their hearts" (12). 

Can we love any less?

Bishop Glenn L. Pace said:

“This prophet had Christlike love for a fallen people. Can we be content with loving less? We must press forward with the pure love of Christ to spread the good news of the gospel. As we do so and fight the war of good against evil, light against darkness, and truth against falsehood, we must not neglect our responsibility of dressing the wounds of those who have fallen in battle. There is no room in the kingdom for fatalism” ("A Thousand Times"). 

Mormon 2

This chapter is the beginning of the end. Mormon records:

"I saw the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritual" (15).

The Nephite people were mourning for the land abounded in thieves, robbers, murderers, magic art, and witchcraft (10). Mormon was hoping that such a cry was a cry of repentance. But it ended up being the "sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin" (13).

Mormon 1

In this reading, we begin the days of Mormon, the historian and prophet and warleader. He starts his own record with:

"And now I, Mormon, make a record of the things which I have both seen and heard, and call it the Book of Mormon" (1).

This amazing man. Every time I get to this point in the scriptures, I begin to cry. In about 322 AD, "the whole face of the land had become covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea" (7). In in about 401 AD, all of the Nephite people are destroyed and hunted down, Mormon's son Moroni wandered the land by himself (Mormon 8).

80 years.

Then they were gone.

4 Nephi 1

True believers in Christ, and the true worshipers of Christ (36-37).

Elder Neal A. Maxwell spoke to the characteristics of the true believers:

• True believers are settled in their views of Christ
• True believers gladly perform their duties in the kingdom. 
• True believers are humble. 
• True believers are willing to do what Christ wants.
• True believers have a balanced contentment. 
• True believers truly pray.
• True believers have both right conduct and right reasons for that conduct. 
• True believers rejoice in the success of others.
• True believers remember that forgetting is part of forgiving.
• True believers are innocent as to sin, but not naive.
• True believers are happy (“True Believers").

Do we have such qualities? Are we working on developing them? We want to become true believers in Christ.

3 Nephi 30

Mormon, the historian and editor of the Book of Mormon, was commanded by the Lord to write unto us the following words:

"Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel" (2).

We are to come unto Christ. We are to be baptized in His name so that we may receive a remission of our sins. We are to be filled with the Holy Ghost. When we do this we may be numbered among the people who are of the house of Israel and also partake of the covenants he made with them.

3 Nephi 29

The covenants which God made with the children of Israel, concerning their restoration to the lands of their inheritance, is already beginning to be fulfilled (1).


Elder Russell M. Nelson said:

"The covenant God made with Abraham and later reaffirmed with Isaac and Jacob is of transcendent significance. It contained several promises, including:

• Jesus the Christ would be born through Abraham’s lineage.

• Abraham’s posterity would be numerous, entitled to an eternal increase, and also entitled to bear the priesthood.

• Abraham would become a father of many nations.

• Certain lands would be inherited by his posterity.

• All nations of the earth would be blessed by his seed.

• And that covenant would be everlasting—even through 'a thousand generations.'

"Some of these promises have been fulfilled; others are still pending" ("Covenants").

How blessed we are to live in these days. How blessed we are that God remembers His covenant with His people.

 

3 Nephi 28

When Christ visited the Americas he called 12 Disciples to minister unto the people (18:36, 19:4). Christ asked his apostles and disciples throughout time what they desired (D&C 7:1; 2 Chronicles 1:7; 3 Nephi 28:1).

Nine of the Twelve said:

"We desire that after we have lived unto the age of man, that our ministry, wherein thou hast called us, may have an end, that we may speedily come unto thee in thy kingdom" (2).

The other three Nephites "desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand" (9). It's what John the Beloved desired as well (3 Nephi 28:6; D&C 7:2).

They wanted to continue sharing the gospel to God's children.

Such a righteous desire!

3 Nephi 27

There's a lot I could talk about in this chapter, luckily there have been recent General Conference talks speaking on them.

After Christ visited the Americas, the people wondered what their church should be named. They came to be known as The Church of Christ (26:21; 27:3-11). Today, the church is called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was named by Jesus Christ himself (D&C 115:4). There is a reason for that explained in Elder M. Russell Ballard's talk "The Importance of a Name."

3 Nephi 26

"And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them" (9).

We have been blessed with scriptures in these latter-days. We have the Holy Bible which contain the Old and New Testament. We have the Book of Mormon. We have the Doctrine and Covenants. We have the Pearl of Great Price. We have prophets today who have revelation from God concerning his people; we hear them in General Conference and occasionally Stake Conference. We have manuals and study helps to help us. We are blessed with a great deal of guidance from God.

Are we taking advantage of them?

3 Nephi 25

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord;

"And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse" (5-6).

3 Nephi 24

Dallin H. Oaks said: "Some people say, 'I can’t afford to pay tithing.' Those who place their faith in the Lord’s promises say, 'I can’t afford not to pay tithing'" ("Tithing").

Tithing blesses your lives. Malachi has said:

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house; 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."

If we pay tithing, the windows of heaven will be opened unto us. Blessing will be poured on us, so much that we won't have room to receive it. These blessings are both temporal and spiritual. Who doesn't want that?

 

3 Nephi 23

For the past 6 months I've been reading a chapter a day from the Book of Mormon. I read it. Then I mark it up. Then I figure out what really stood out to me that I wish to share. Then I share it here on my blog. One a day. It causes me to be really studious. It causes me to really search the scriptures. It causes me to study. It causes me to ponder. It causes me to look up words of our prophets and apostles and other church leaders. It causes me to be more obedient. It causes me to be more aware of God's hand in my life.  There are so many blessing from being obedient to Jesus Christ's commandment:

"And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. 

"And whosoever will hearken unto my words and repenteth and is baptized, the same shall be saved. Search the prophets, for many there be that testify of these things" (1, 5).

3 Nephi 22

In today's world, life is rather frightening. There's disasters all over the world both of natural causes and human choices. How do we raise children in this day and age? Well, yesterday I mentioned the post I made about "Raising our Children in Zion", but when I read this chapter I learned something else:

"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children" (13).

3 Nephi 21

This chapter is a really good one speaking of the remnant of Jacob, the house of Israel, and the repentant Gentiles all helping and teaching each other. Building Zion, the New Jerusalem, together.

In this chapter, it mentions the word "commence" five times in relation to the work the Father will do. Which actually is commencing at this moment. It's called building the kingdom of God. There is so much to do for such a work.

Preaching the word of God. Repenting and calling for repentance. Making covenants and keeping them. Gathering of people. Working together.

Creating Zion.

I mentioned in a previous blog post entitled "Raising our Children in Zion" about suggestions to build Zion with accompanying quotes from scriptures, and prophets and apostles.

Basically, follow the commandments. Love God. Love your neighbor as thyself.

3 Nephi 20

"And he commanded them that they should not cease to pray in their hearts" (1).


I've mentioned this a lot recently. I just want to make sure you know.

Pray.

It blessed your lives in enormous ways.

Ways I can't really express.

3 Nephi 19

Prayer. I don't think we realize how important it is.
I really don't.

In the last few chapters, when Jesus is among the Lamanites and Nephites, he teaches them many things. But I get a sense that the people learned a great deal more through Christ's prayers to the Father.

3 Nephi 18

"Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed." (21).

President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

“I feel satisfied that there is no adequate substitute for the morning and evening practice of kneeling together—father, mother, and children. This, more than soft carpets, more than lovely draperies, more than cleverly balanced color schemes, is the thing that will make for better and more beautiful homes” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1963, 127).

This semester, my roommates and I gather together in the living room before one of us goes to bed. We gather together, we chat, we catch up on each others lives, because life can be hectic for college students, everyone going every which way. But we take a moment to gather together and talk. Inviting any visiters to join us. Then we kneel down, and we say apartment prayer. We ask each other if there is anything we want to pray about whether a missionary, injuries, gratitude for the blessings we have, help on a test, etc. As we ask each other and pray for each other, we become aware of each other's needs and concerns and we can be inspired on how exactly to help each other in these areas.

This is how it can be used in families. Except family relationships are so much stronger than simply roommates. Take advantage of it. Use it as an opportunity to know each others concerns or interests. Use it as an opportunity to grow closer together as a family and closer to God.

Prayer is a marvelous thing. Always. Have it with your family. Have it with your roommates. Have it with your friends. Its been a blessing in my life.

3 Nephi 17

"Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again." (3).

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: “See how the Master focuses on the family—on pondering, praying, preparing together! It should not surprise us, if we routinize our religion and do not assign the highest priority to the kingdom, that our hearts and minds will quite naturally drift to other things” (Wherefore, Ye Must Press Forward [1977], 30–31).

We are to prepare to hear from God. We are to prepare for every Sunday worship. We aren't supposed to think that the Sabbath will prepare us for the week, but rather we are to focus on what we can do to prepare to learn for the next week.

We are to say our prayers before studying the scriptures. We are to have prayer before a lot of different studying or meeting events. We are preparing ourselves to hear from God. And we can do it with family.

3 Nephi 16

"And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witnesses unto them of me and of the Father" (3 Nephi 16:6).

He lives. Jesus the Christ, our Savior, lives.

Boy and Girl enjoyed the beauty of spring break

BJ and I at the steps of the Salt Lake Temple

BJ and I left pretty late on the very last day of the semester. We arrived rather early in the morning. His family was kind enough to have a spare bedroom for me to stay in. The next day was Sunday, so we all went to church. It also happened to be Easter Sunday. It was awesome. I know I use that word a lot, but it really was. It was great. That night was dinner with the family. It was really great to have family around. It was interesting meeting up with them again as BJ and I were much more serious than we were at the beginning of the Winter Semester.

The next day we explored the new City Creek mall in Salt Lake City as I needed to go shopping anyways for clothes. BJ was kind enough to be dragged along and enjoyed it. One funny moment that reminded me a lot of what my dad would do: We were walking around the mall. We looked up at the ceiling or lack thereof, then BJ halts in his tracks, points up and says Look at that! I was thinking that it was something really unusual and rare, so did everyone around us. But it turned out to be the fascination he had with the fact that the ceiling was retractable. It really, really reminded me of something my dad would do. I love BJ. He's amazing you know. That even when I ask him to go shopping with me he enjoys it by finding things he enjoys. He makes me smile so much.

3 Nephi 15

"There shall be one fold, and one shepherd" (3 Nephi 15:17).

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said:

“Jesus is so personal in His shepherding and tutoring! . . .
“. . . Jesus knows and cares for each individual; He watches carefully over the seemingly smallest of things” (That Ye May Believe [1992], 204–5).

He knows us. Our Savior knows us. He knows us individually. We can turn to him for comfort, strength, guidance. We can count on him. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. He knows our hearts. He knows how much we are trying to follow him. If we remember that He knows us and loves us, why would we not want to turn to him? Especially when he gives us blessings.

Finally, Together

BJ, his roommates and I bowling

It was time for me to return to Idaho for school. I had a friend coming out to California for a visit, so we drove back to Utah together on December 31st. On New Year's Day, BJ came and picked me up and I had Sunday dinner with him and his siblings. This was the second time I spent with them. The last time I saw them was back in July went I first met them. But that was at the beginning of this long period of time apart and this was after that break was over. And we still really liked each other. So it put a new spin on things. But they're such a great family and so welcoming. It was fabulous.

3 Nephi 14

Do unto others what you would have done unto you.

It's as simple as that.

Together, for a time

BJ came out right before Thanksgiving. I have to say, I was really worried that for some reason I wouldn't recognize him, because I fail at recognizing people out of context. Seeing him in California was certainly going to be out of context for me. Luckily enough, when I saw him at the train station, it wasn't a problem. I knew him immediately.

We and my parents then explored Old Town Sacramento, ate late lunch and just wandered around. It was a lot of fun. Ironically, it was rather dreary outside and we Californians were a little chilled, but BJ seemed to hold up! Then home we went. He met the family.

My youngest brother took an immediate shine to BJ. One of my other brothers had just left on his mission the month prior. As a result, he was missing Ben and was really grateful to have BJ. I was just glad that he didn't say anything too embarrassing to BJ. I'm the eldest in my family, and none of my other siblings has yet to seriously date someone. Let alone had this individual come out to California to visit. I was worried that my family in general was going to be really odd. I didn't know how they were going to react. They were awesome though. I'm so blessed to have them as my family.

3 Nephi 13

“Loving service anonymously given may be unknown to man—but the gift and the giver are known to God.”

~Thomas S. Monson, "'Anonymous'"

I love serving others. I really do. It makes me feel so joyful and grateful when I'm able to show my love through service. It makes the day so blessed and bright, even on a gloomy day. If you are bored one day or have a moment of "freedom," do some service for someone. Make cookies and randomly give them to your next door neighbor. Invite someone over for dinner. Or make the dinner and bring it to them! There's a lot to do. You can just google ideas and you'll have more than enough. But one motto you should really apply is:

Good Thought? Do it!

Girl went home, but technology is a wonderful blessing

I was back home in California. I'd go to a movie with my institute friends and I'd talk about BJ so much that a few of my friends thought I was a tad ridiculous. BJ and I would chat on Facebook all the time. These really long messages when we weren't online at the same time or we'd be typing away if we were both online. My sister would ask me to do something with her and I'd say, "Just a minute." A minute, 30, then an hour or two would go by, then I could go with her. Or I'd keep her up talking about him.

3 Nephi 12

In 3 Nephi 12, the introduction reads:

"Jesus calls and commissions the Twelve—He delivers to the Nephites a discourse similar to the Sermon on the Mount—He speaks the Beatitudes—His teachings transcend and take precedence over the law of Moses—Men are commanded to be perfect even as he and his Father are perfect—Compare Matthew 5. About A.D. 34."

Once upon a time, a girl met a boy

BJ with the Home Evening Group at Applebee's.

I first saw him on a Monday night in my Home Evening group. None of my other roommates could make it. Luckily I knew one of my new FHE sisters because she had been my visiting teacher the semester before. For the activity we played "Just Dance" on the Wii. Just so you know, I have a very hard time playing that game in front of people I don't know well. So I was this seemingly quiet person. For those of you who know me well, I am generally kind've crazy. But I was acting like the shiest person alive. He sat on the other side of the room. He seemed a bit more reserved too, but he was really handsome. I was slightly interested in him. You know how it is. You see someone and you want to get to know that individual better. He just looked like a great guy to know. But I kept forgetting his name. I couldn't tell if it was PJ, BJ, TJ, or what his name was. I figured that I was going to have a chance to get to know him throughout the semester. I was certainly interested though.

3 Nephi 11

Jesus Christ, our Savior, lives. We have prophets on the earth today that testify of this:

"We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son" ( "The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles").

I bear my testimony that as we repent, as we are made clean through our Savior, as we are obedient, we can return to our Heavenly Father and inherit the kingdom of God.

As Article of Faith 1:3 says: "We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel."

Our Savior lives. His Atonement is accessible to everyone and is for everyone. He loves you. He loves me. He loves all of his people. The Savior lives. I know it. and you can as well. Pray. Read the scriptures. Know Him. He loves you. He lives. I know it.

Making Decisions

This last weekend was stake conference as I mentioned in my post "Your Next Best 2 Years." A member of my stake presidency gave us stages of life we go through. They remind me of Erik Erikson's stages, but definitely different.

From Birth to 8 years old is the Dispensation of Unaccountability.
From 8 to 15 years old is the Dispensation of Development.
From 15 to 35 years old is the Dispensation of Decisions.
From 35 years when their kids are grown up is the Dispensation of Establishment.
From that time to death is the Dispensation to Give Back.

Currently, the majority of the people in my stake are in the 15-35 year range. Each of us making decisions. Some are those are huge decisions like deciding a major, a career, where to live, whom to marry for eternity, etc. It can be extremely stressful to make such a decision that would change your life forever. How do you make such an important decision?

3 Nephi 10

We should follow the and be obedient to the prophets we are blessed to have in these latter days.

M. Russell Ballard said: “It is no small thing, my brothers and sisters, to have a prophet of God in our midst. Great and wonderful are the blessings that come into our lives as we listen to the word of the Lord given to us through him. . . . When we hear the counsel of the Lord expressed through the words of the President of the Church, our response should be positive and prompt. History shows that there is safety, peace, prosperity, and happiness in responding to prophetic counsel” ("'His Word Ye Shall Receive'").

We can be safe, comforted and find peace. We can have prosperity and happiness when we are obedient. So listen to the prophets and be obedient. You will be blessed in every aspect of your life whether it be home life, school, work, friends, dating, etc. You will be blessed.