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).