early to bed and EARLY TO RISE

Benjamin Franklins once said, "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."

The First Sunrise since being home in California

I honestly wonder what his opinion on the effects of Jet Lag would be. I woke up at 1 in the morning. California time. I refused to wake up though when the sun was literally on the other side of the planet. 1 AM Cali time is 10 AM Swiss time. Which was normally the time I woke up while I was in Switzerland. But because I really am a California girl, I really love my sunshine. Waking up hours and hours before it even shines is not exciting. So I went back to bed. And kept waking up. And kept going back to bed. I gave up at about 4 this morning. I figured my sister was waking up in an hour anyways to go to seminary. Once she woke I could easily get up and finish my unpacking and such. Not that I even started unpacking last night. So I suppose it's more that I'm beginning to unpack.
Maybe I can use this horrible jet lag to my advantage. Because when you wake up at 4 in the morning and have no residue of tiredness, it sort've drives you crazy. So I'll attempt to wake up at 5 in the morning regularly and then go to sleep earlier. Ha! I have good intentions but in the long run I have absolutely no faith that I'll be able to keep it. But I'm going to try!

Ok, so you know that intense debate about bringing my backpack and laptop or packing it away? Well, there was something I learned that made the decision for me. If you have a laptop it is to be a carry on. Elsewise, the bag peoples get upset at you. Luckily enough I did not learn this through experience. But rather through other people who know these things because they read the rules or learned it through their unfortunate experience.

Yesterday was also the longest day of my life. Literally. I woke up at 7 AM Swiss time to get ready for the day and finish up packing. Then we left around 9.
The Zurich airport is awesome. You know how in America you go through security check at the very beginning? At this airport you check in your bag. You get your boarding pass. Then you walk around and you can shop or eat or whatever you'd like. Then only those with boarding passes move on. Once they check your boarding pass (and that's it) you go to the right wing of the airport. Because I was using Swiss Airlines I went to "E". Which meant that I had to take a little underground tram to get there. Once you arrive at your section, that's where they do the big security check. The line was really short because it wasn't every single person in the airport that'll be flying but rather every person that will be flying from "E". Then I arrived at my gate #23 and that's where they check your passport and boarding pass. Then off you go.

I really liked it. A lot.

However the flight was forever. It was about 11 hours long. And every hour and a half or so they brought out really delicious smelling food. Not only was it delicious smelling but also delicious tasting. So just as I was about to fall asleep, I'd smell it. And I wouldn't be able to fall asleep if my life depended on it. So I had maybe 3 hours of sleep total. When I landed at 4:20 PM Cali time, it was more like 1:20 AM. After getting through customs and picking up luggage, I was a tad exhausted. Luckily for me my parents and sister picked me up. So I hugged them. Thanked them. And got in the back seat and started chattering away. However by that point we were going from San Francisco to the California valley at 5 PM. That's rush hour. The trip that was supposed to take one and a half hours took three. And halfway through it we needed to pick up the other car that my mom and sister drove to meet up with my dad at work. And I was asked to drive home because of other's health reasons. Now, realize this. It's around 3 in the morning for me and I'm driving. My parents were a tad worried about this. But I had found reserves of energy and was chattering up a storm. I told my mother that if she would let me chatter and actually converse with me on the way home that I could accomplish such a feat. And I did. Arrived safely home.

When I came in the door I saw luggage in the living room either being packed or being unpacked. It was in one of those stages. And I was confused. I had my bag in my hand. I wasn't unpacking yet. Then the rest of my mind caught up with my thoughts and went, "Oh! Right! My brother is packing for his mission as he's leaving next week." Him packing really made it more real for me.

After that moment of being slow of thought I brought myself upstairs to see what my sister did with our room as she rearranged things. It was nice. But I was a bit tired to really appreciate it. Then I was informed that we were leaving to practice a song as a family that we are singing on Sunday for my brother's last Sunday with us for 2 years. Actually, it'll be the last time my family is all together for awhile. Because while one brother is gone on his mission, another brother leaves on his. And for me, a lot can happen in 4 years. It's kind've a big deal. But anyways, I didn't know the song and was sleeping where I stood.

As soon as we arrived home, we had prayers and I went and crashed. Because by that point it was almost 6 AM for me. Almost a full 24 hours. With 3 one hour naps total.

And now here I am. I'm home.

My Last Full Swiss Day

I'm in the midst of packing at the moment and I'm debating whether to pack my backpack into my suitcase or take it with me. Mostly because of the accessibility of my laptop.
My choices:
1. Bring my backpack so I can have my laptop with me while I wait in the airport and hope they have free wifi. Plus, I can use it to work more on a photo album of sorts about my Swiss trip. But possibly not have enough room to put the pack under the seat in front of me on the plane and not have any interest in doing it because I'd rather read. Plus, I'd have to bring my cord and adapter because my computer likes to die an early death. Then I have to hope to have a plug near where I'd like to sit.
2. Not bring my backpack. Then I don't have to add any extra worries and I can just write in my journal and read books. Except then I worry that my suitcase will weigh too much. And I may possibly become bored.
It's an intense debate within my head. So I'm taking a break.

Today really was my last full day in Switzerland. It's kind've depressing. I'll definitely have to come back someday. Especially since I have family here.

On the way back from Zurich, we stopped by ruins of a castle. It's called Burgruine. "Burg" means a castle fort. "Ruine" means... well, ruin. German is a very direct language. But here are some photos:

Gorgeous right?
Interesting fact. Do you remember the other castle I visited? Château de Chillon? Well, the castle I took pictures of today is actually only 30 years younger than the one I visited just a bit ago. Yet it is in much further disrepair. I found that fascinating.

Well, this has been a wonderful time in Switzerland. It truly has been. I'm going to miss it. Surprisingly, it's actually felt pretty normal being here. I think what's going to be odd is actually coming back home to California. You expect a foreign country to be different. But you don't really expect your own home and culture to be. Though, I'm thinking I'll shocked by the fact that I can suddenly eavesdrop on random conversations of people nearby because I can actually understand what they are saying. Then again. I am going to California where Spanish is prominent. So maybe not.

Random FYI: I still don't know what I'm going to do about my backpack...

First Snow

Dear Rexburgian friends,
Apparently Switzerland is on the same weather pattern as you.

It rained yesterday and it was beautiful.

I saw all over Facebook and Twitter that is began snowing in Rexburg, ID the other day. I feel for you. You'll probably have to live with it for the next 8 months or so. In fact, I'll be showing up after there are several feet of snow on the ground and it doesn't really snow anymore, but just stays there.

I've been staying in Sattel, Switzerland for 28 days. The weather has been fantastically amazing. Rolling green hills. Green, green, everywhere. Reminds me of California. But not as hot. Nor as flat. But it's been a perfect Rexburg summer hot everywhere I've gone in Switzerland. Which I've become adjusted to verses the 90s or 100s I've grown up with in Cali where a Rexburg summer would be classified as a California late fall. So coming to Switzerland's lovely weather was a nice break from the 90 degree weather in California. Another blessing of coming to Switzerland.

Turns out that fall happens really fast here. So fast I almost didn't notice it. I'm thinking fall lasts a full week here. Trees and vines that were a vibrant green are now full of autumn colors. Even the hills are not looking as green as they once were.

Yesterday, my luck of good weather ran out. It began to rain. and rain.

Snow! Snow! Snow!

This morning? It snowed.

Not very long. And it didn't stick as the ground is much to warm. But it snowed. And I'm expecting it to snow a little bit more before I leave next Thursday.

I count that as lucky.
I was lucky enough to see the first snow in Switzerland. Did you know I've never, ever experienced a first snow of the season before? Ever?
I'm 100% from the California Valley where it never snows.
I'm always in California during the fall and beginning of winter. I've never experienced this before.
It's beautiful.

It's like my first time seeing snow melt when I was up in Rexburg for my first semester. I thought everything would be green underneath the snow. But the grass was dead and moldy and not at all what I would have thought spring should be. It was fun to watch the seasons change. Totally miraculous.
Now I've seen the first snow.

It's awesome.

Now, it's probably awesome because in a week I'll be back in my California Valley where the temperature is in the high 70s and low 80s. It'll still be summer. I won't have to deal with snow for the next few months until January comes around and I go up to Rexburg again. But still. It's all rather exciting.

"Rain is Falling All Around"

Moiselle Renstrom

♪Snow is falling all around,

On the housetops, on the ground.

Snow is falling on my nose,

On my head and hands and toes. ♬

Mt. Rigi

"The Blue Rigi, Lake of Lucerne, Sunrise" by JMW Turner

True or False?

I hiked a mountain.

I woke up at 6:30 to hike a mountain today.

I was half conscience before the sun arose so I could go see the sun rise while on top of the mountain this morning.

I'm crazy.

All, but the last (of course), is false.

But. It is almost true.

I was aware of the alarm at 6:30 before the sun ever arose. Though, I didn't know what it was. And it was gone so quickly that my brain wasn't even functioning enough to recognize it.

I actually arose out of bed at around 6:50 or so and found myself at my Aunt's place. See, yesterday, I was blessed enough to spend time with my Aunt and her family. I saw their cute little town and the nearby nunnery and was able to help my cousin set up a blog. (If you'd like to see it, here it is!) I love looking at the Swiss buildings, especially the old homes and churches. Such an amount of history in those places.

Back to my "hike" up the mountain. I didn't actually hike up at all. My cousin and I took a tram. I love trams that go up mountains. I'd go hiking all the time if I could take a tram all the way to the top.

However, my cousin and I discovered that the tram didn't go up that early. Which was disappointment. But it was an absolutely gorgeous sight even if we got there a couple of hours later than the sun did. It was still morning. The clouds were below us. The valleys and lakes were below us. We were taller than many of the surrounding mountains. It was just beautiful.

I'm so glad my aunt gave me the suggestion and that I was able to go. It was stunning.

As I'm sure you've noticed, it's really high. Gorgeous though. Rather scary to go to the edge as it's a sheer drop downwards. It was amazing. Mt. Rigi is also known as "Queen of the Mountains" though I'm not sure why. There has been a painting of the mountain by JMW Turner and Mark Twain is known to have climbed it.

If anyone is curious to it's location, it's on the map below. However, you can't really tell it's a mountain from space. Still. It's beautiful from up there. It really and truly is. I love the beauty of Switzerland. I'll have to come back someday for sure. It's a good thing I have this last week in Switzerland to experience everything else I can experience!!

View Larger Map

Swiss Bowling

Went bowling today! Amazingly my score was 70 something and then 100ish. Pretty good for me. I'm thinking it's because of the fancy little bumper things. You don't even notice they're there so you aren't totally embarrassed by using them. Every roll.
It was interesting though. Because as my cousin and I walked in I realized a few things.

First. This is the sign. It's geared towards teens. You know, the allowed to drink 16 year old teens. Those ones. Nice place though. Very... classy? I'm not sure of the word to use here. But it was a nice place. If I were not a member and a European, I'd hang out there for sure. Though, I did just hang out there today...

Secondly. The bumper no-gutter things? Well, they are very nice discrete little things. No embarrassment at all for blatantly using them. Every single time.

Third. They bowling pins are on strings. Like puppets. I laugh every time I hit them and they flew everywhere while still being connected to strings. Then to reset them the machine pulls up on the little strings and it looks like there's some guy back their doing a little puppet show with the bowling pins. It's great! I loved it.

I really fail at bowling. But when you fail so often it makes you really happy when the ball just doesn't fall into the gutter. Even if it is because of the bumper, no-gutter things. Because it can jump those. I've seen it happen.

But I can now cross "Go bowling in Switzerland" off my bucket list. If it was on there in the first place. Though, if I had known I could go bowling here it would've been on it.

Invade Switzerland: A Plan Lacking Intelligence

There is a subject taught in schools called "History." I've generally enjoyed those subjects. When presented in the right way, it's an oral story that captures the interest of all who listen. When it's not, it's the class most dreaded with passion. They say we must learn from the past. However, most of the history taught in class wasn't something that could be immediately applicable in our daily lives. The phrase "learn from the past" seems to me to be speaking to those in a position to change things. Meaning those with influence, which the majority of high school students really don't hold. So we listen to the stories, and we hear stories. It's not until we gain more wisdom and experiences that we truly understand the significance of said stories. That's when the advice "learn from the past" comes into play. Hopefully, by that point we realize we can do things to prevent or change an outcome.

In the process of taking the subject History, we covered both World Wars as well as the Cold War. During these lessons, we briefly cover that Switzerland was neutral and we move on. I always wondered how Switzerland remained neutral. Now I know.

Article 18 of the Federal Constitution (of Switzerland) states:

Every Swiss male is liable for military service. The soldiers shall receive their first equipment, clothing, and weapon free of charge. The weapon shall remain in the possession of the soldier under the conditions to be drawn up by Federal Legislation.

Switzerland declared itself neutral at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. It's been 200 years since Switzerland's last war. Which was during the French Revolutionary Wars, when France pretty much overtook Switzerland.

How do they stay neutral? They make any plan entitled "Invade Switzerland" a very, very stupid choice.
The Swiss militia is only a defensive army. If attacked or invaded, a fully equipped army could be in the field in 48 hours. All the soliders keep their uniform, guns and ammunition at home. They are not  very many career military people. The military consists of the Swiss men. Men who go to work, who are studying in their professions, or attending the university. They are in average between the age of 20 and 35. For those men who aren't suited for it, they provide other ways of service. As a Swiss male, you are required to have completed 10 three-week training periods in service to the army. Those in the military also have their actual jobs and careers to attend to outside of the military. Thus, they generally complete those hours by the time they are 35 years old and they are released, returning their military equipment. However, for the rest of their lives they are required to pass a shooting precision test each year. So the official number of who is in the Swiss army is actually much much less then the actual number that could be called upon with a moment's notice.
Women can join voluntarily. Once they are signed up they have the same duties and responsibilities as the men, but aren't armed. They can choose their military occupation and have ten choices. They can't resign until they are pregnant.
Also, each town has a bunker. Underground. They are extremely hard to spot. They are seriously very well hidden. So if Switzerland were ever attacked, the military would meet there and those without bunkers in their homes would go there. But all modern buildings (homes, apartments, etc) are required to have a bunker for all the residents. Each family is also required to keep a stock of basic foodstuffs incase of emergency. It's basically food storage. Every family is to have one. In the entire country. Swiss men in and out of the military are required to attend civil protection courses for their towns or cities.
All this alone would discorage any sane person. But there's more.
All of the Swiss infrastructure (roads, bridges, power lines, tunnels, the things that keep the mountains from falling onto the road) are rigged. With explosives. There are a lot of bridges, tunnels, etc in Switzerland because of the Alps. The Swiss would rather blow up their own country rather than let someone else rule it. So if you plan to attack the Swiss, expect to not be taking the short, easy ways. Expect to have to travel through the Alps. In the parts where no one lives because no one can.
This is why Switzerland has been able to be neutral since 1815 through both World Wars surrounded by conquered countries. They realized the consequences of stepping a foot into Swiss land. Because if the Swiss had allowed that it would have be considered aiding. And they were neutral.

Castles and Romans

Today, I went to a castle. A legitimate castle originally built in the 12th Century. The oldest document mentioning the castle is in 1150 and the castle had been built for awhile even then. The castle's name?

Château de Chillon

To get to this particular castle we had to pass through, what my cousin calls, Castle Country. Castles were everywhere. Castles and palaces. They dotted the land like the temples do in Utah. It was rather shocking to see. I had thought seeing one actual castle in my life would be a big deal. But I've seen at least 15 castles and palaces there and back (a three hour drive). Along with many old Catholic churches and chapels and an old (very old) Roman watchtower.

One of the Catholic Churches on the way to Château de Chillon

The castle is also located in the French part of Switzerland. Who knew that the French I learned in high school would actually come in handy? Both with neighbors and my trip to Switzerland? But here is where it is located:

View Larger Map

Just so you know, I could literally see the Alps that were located in France.

See? Those are the Alps, across the lake. It's also France.

Château de Chillon was absolutely amazing. Truly just... spectacular. The pictures really don't capture the intensity of it. It's huge. The castle had these signs explaining the the castle. The common theme actually was witches. As in making deals with the Devil, spell books, flying on brooms, tortures, burning at the stake. It was an an interesting theme for the castle.

This is an actual spell book. On the right, in English, it reads, "Book of Magic with many magical spells and signs. This page tells the user how to call upon the Devil to get gold from a sunken ship. This kind of spell book was still very popular in the 19th century."

An old record of a death sentence for a condemned witch.

Where they burned the witches.

The room where witches were hanged, tortured, etc.

Actual armor. The people back then must've been short, and strong, to be able to wear it.

After exploring the castle (and a lot of it wasn't open to the public). We went to this little manmade cove in the lake right near the castle. I could just see the people who lived at the castle going to the little beach often. It was a nice place. You might think that there would naturally be a beach if the castle is located on the water. But in truth, most the the lakes in Switzerland have old stone steps or a sheer drop into the water. Beaches of little stones or sand or dirt are actually rather rare. So such a beach near the castle is significant (to me). It was loads of fun.

On the way back home, we decided to stop at a town called Aventicum, also formally (once) known as the capital of Roman Switzerland. Meaning that the town was surrounded by what was left of a Roman wall, it even has a legitimate amphitheatre. You know, the kind with gladiators and animal combat and staged hunts. Since it was once the capital city, it's a rather large amphitheatre. The town was also kind of creepy because even though there were cars everywhere, there were almost no people anywhere. Really. There were no sounds besides ourselves. It was really weird.
Here's the former Roman Switzerland capital. You can see the amphitheatre:

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 The amphitheatre, which is has only been half uncovered.

This is the uncovered portion.

Another castle. This one located in the former capital of Roman Switzerland.

It was a truly fabulous trip, even in the ride to Château de Chillon was long. As well as the ride back. It was entirely worth it. I'm so lucky to be able to be here!

The Last of General Conference

The last of the 181st Semi-Annual General Conference.

Russell M. Nelson informed us that the greatest compliment one could give us is that of "Covenant Keeper".
Dallin H. Oaks told us to ask ourselves "What think ye of Christ?" (Matthew 22:42). He wishes us to examine ourselves to see if we are truly believers and followers of Christ.
Matthew O. Richardson's mission was the best two years for his life. Real life requires real learning which depends on real teaching. As teachers, we are to teach by the Holy Ghost, not in front of or behind. We are to teach "after the manner of the workings of the spirit" (Moroni 6:9).

1. The Holy Ghost teaches individuals in a very personal way. We must remember that we teach people, not lessons.
2. The Holy Ghost teaches by inviting, prompting, encouraging and inspiring us to act. Ask, as a teacher, how do I help those around me learn for themselves?

Kazuhiko Yamashita is from Japan and in speaking of the missionaries called there, informed us that there are many who had a parent who also served a mission there. I have a missionary friend who's serving in Japan where that is true. Yamashita wanted to inform missionaries throughout the world that their attitude and actions and the love they have for the people truly affects those they come in contact with. And to those preparing for missions, there are three things they must bring with them:

1. A desire to preach the gospel
2. A testimony
3. Love for others

Randall K. Bennet spoke on the gift of choice, agency. We have two choices in life: eternal life or worldliness. Your eternal destiny will not be the result of chance, but of choice. "You can't make eternal decisions without eternal consequences," Thomas S. Monson.

J. Devn Cornish tells us that Heavenly Father loves us so much that the things that are important to use (that are good) are important to Him. Thus, Pray and then go to work. God wishes to grant you much, and some of those things come only when you ask for them. Build your communication with God.

Quentin L. Cook gave us important principles that help us know there is a bright future for each of us, even if bad things have occurred in our lives.

1. There is a Father in Heaven who knows us personally and understands our suffering personally.
2. His son is our Savior and Redeemer whose Atonement not only provides for our salvation and exaltation but compensates for all the unfairness of life.
3. The Plan of Happiness not only includes pre-mortal and mortal life, but an eternal life.

Then President Thomas S. Monson gave his closing remarks and closed this General Conference. He let us know that Heavenly Father is mindful of the challenges we face today. That we should have increased kindness toward each other and nourish our testimonies.

I'm so grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves me so much that He gave His son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior and Redeemer, who suffered the Atonement for us so we could return to Him again. I'm so grateful for living prophets who guide us. For personal revelation that occurs individually. I'm so grateful for the opportunity of General Conference. I can't wait until the November Ensign comes out so I can have a copy.

I ♥ the Prophet

Do you realize how blessed we are? It's truly an awesome thing to have a living prophet. Whenever I think of President Thomas S. Monson and I hear him speak, you are just overcome with love for this great man. The whole of General Conference is filled with great men and women who share their testimonies with the world.

Henry B. Eyring spoke of the sacred charge each member of the church has as soon as we are baptized. We are to:

1. Be Charitable. "That ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17). Also, Alma 13:29.
2. Be Witnesses of God. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ can give us guidance and help us gain encouragement.
3. Endure. "Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life" (3 Nephi 15:9).

Robert D. Hales told us we do have tribulations and we may often wonder why we must suffer through them. Many may think, "God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34). But, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him" is the advice given (Psalms 37:7). Job of the Old Testament, known for the great misfortunes he faced, said, "For I know that my redeemer liveth" and he was able to stay faithful to the Lord (Job 19:25). As we wait upon the Lord, we become more like God wants us to be:

And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive. (Alma 7:23).

Thus, we should say, "thy will be done" (Matthew 26:42).

Tad R. Callister gave his testimony on The Book of Mormon and informed us it had no middle ground. Either every word, every sentence, every page is the word of God or it is of the devil. There is no middle ground. One test to determine if it is of God or of the devil is to read different verses and determine if they bring you closer to God. If they do, then it is of God, for Satan would never guide you towards God.

Personally, I love Elaine S. Dalton's words to the fathers of daughters. It might be one of my favorites (though they are all on my list of favorites). She expressed how father's feel when they become father's to their first daughter. Generally, the most common feeling is that of inadequacy. The question "How can a father raise a daughter?" may be most prevalent in their minds. It reminds me of my own father, who, when I was born thought (and still thinks, lucky me) that I was the most beautiful baby he had ever seen. I was his first child and a daughter, which may have played a role in such a thought. But still... In anycase, the answer to the question, "How can a father raise a daughter?" is to love her mother. Father's teach their daughters through example. They teach qualities of love, devotion, tenderness, etc through how they treat their wives. Fathers are told to be involved in their daughters' lives. Fathers are their daughters heros. (It's true, Daddy!) Their testimonies have a powerful influence. Be virtuous and holy in your life as a Priesthood holder. "Be loyal to the royal within."

M. Russell Ballard had been pondering on the importance of a name. The name of our church, named by the Lord Himself, is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Doctrine and Covenants 115:4). The name in and of itself is a short summary of the church and it's members.
The – shows distinction
Church of Jesus Christ – shows that it is Christ's church
of Latter-day – shows that it is the same church formed by Christ when he was alive, but now restored
Saints – shows that the members follow Him (and all that represents)
Nicknames do not have the same significance, but they are significant. The original church of Christ gained the nickname "Christian" which we use with pride today. In modern times, it's "Mormon". There are acceptable times to use the term Mormon when in reference to the members individually or collectively and not to the institution. When asked about what church I attend, I should use "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" in the explanation.

Then we were blessed to hear the words of the living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. He spoke on how much the world has changed in his 85 years of life. Especially our moral compass. The laws of God remain constant and our code of conduct is not negotiable. Peace and joy comes via the Spirit as we keep the commandments. We should do better in our daily communication with our Father in Heaven. Don't let a day go by without saying a prayer. There is great importance of being worthy of inspiration, trusting it and following it. "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Doctrine and Covenants 88:63).

I love the words of a prophet.

Conference: Something I Love

There are annual times of the year that I absolutely love. New Year's, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas. I love my own and my family's birthdays. I love Memorial day. I love the summer!
But twice a year, I am blessed with the opportunity to listen to all the testimonies from modern prophets who share messages the Lord would like us to hear. And that's near the top of my list of my favorite time of year. It's General Conference. and this morning I was able to hear the Saturday afternoon session.

David A. Bednar bore testimony on the Spirit of Elijah which just so happens to be a manifestation of the Spirit. It's a force behind the worldwide interest in family history. The promise of Elijah where Elijah shall return and turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers spoken of in Malachi 4:6 has been fulfilled.

Neil L. Andersen spoke that the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. That we must find our faith in God that He will help us and there is no shame in skimping and saving. We are to not be judgmental in the sacred and personal responsibly to have children. It is a matter between a husband, wife and God.

Ian S. Ardern advised us to become a great manager of Time. Time is a commodity we cannot buy. However, we are each allotted the same Time. It is how we use that time that it becomes a significant. We must have wise priorities. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). Being busy does not mean you are productive. Be sure you are as quick to kneel as to text. Greatest happiness comes as we tune in to the Lord. As the 13th Article of Faith reads:

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

This is how we should prioritize. But the things of God first, and the rest will follow.

Carl B. Cook told of an experience he had after a week of being a General Authority. He was in the elevator, discouraged, with his head hanging when President Thomas S. Monson stepped onto the elevator and shared words of wisdom, "Now, remember it's better to look up" as he pointed to the heavens. If our spirits are down, direct your gaze to the prophet and he will redirect your focus to God. Through our Savior and His Atonement, our burdens can be lifted from our souls.

LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. informed us on the meaning of the words "Savior" and "Redeem". That Jesus Christ truly is our Savior and our Redeemer. That we can acquire redemption. That we should help others find it as well. We should try to rescue the less active and invite them to return. He then shared the verses of a Hymn:


Savior, Redeemer of My Soul
Orson F. Whitney

Savior, Redeemer of my soul,
Whose mighty hand hath made me whole,
Whose wondrous pow'r hath raised me up
And filled with sweet my bitter cup!
What tongue my gratitude can tell,
O gracious God of Israel.

Never can I repay thee, Lord,
But I can love thee. Thy pure word,
Hath it not been my one delight,
My joy by day, my dream by night?
Then let my lips proclaim it still,
And all my life reflect thy will.

O'errule mine acts to serve thine ends.
Change frowning foes to smiling friends.
Chasten my soul till I shall be
In perfect harmony with thee.
Make me more worthy of thy love,
And fit me for the life above.

Then D. Todd Christofferson gave five points about the divine gift of repentance:

1. The invitation to repent is an expression of love.
2. Repentance means striving to change.
3. Repentance means not only abandoning sins but turning to obedience.
4. Repentance requires a seriousness of purpose and a willingness to persevere even through pain.
5. Whatever the cost of repentance, it is swallowed up in the joy of forgiveness.

Finally, L. Tom Perry gave the session's closing remarks. He spoke to members telling us to correct the misinformation about the church throughout the world. We are to do it with the same spirit and conduct ourselves the same way as we do at temple open houses. There are a few ways to do so:

1. Be bold in our declaration of Jesus Christ.
2. Be righteous examples to others. "Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12).
3. Speak up about the church. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear" (1 John 4:18).

He asked us all to share religious beliefs via the internet. There is a site called Mormon.org which can express who and what Mormons are to those who are interested. Members can upload profile pages. There are a lot of them there already. Thus, that's what I've been working on currently. Thought it would be a good idea. Elder Perry has asked us to make sure we stay holy in conversation.

I can't wait until the next session in about 4 hours! It'll be great, I'm sure. They always are.

Saturday Morning occurs Saturday evening

My Heavenly Father Loves Me

Clara W. McMaster

Whenever I hear the song of a bird

Or look at the blue, blue sky,

Whenever I feel 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

Heavenly 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 thanks him reverently

For all his creations, of which I'm a part.

Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me.

The Saturday Morning session of General Conference was good to hear. I've been waiting all day to be able to hear the words of the Lord through His speakers. I was finally able to beginning listening at 6 PM. Wonderful words.

Richard G. Scott spoke of the importance of the scriptures. All of the scriptures. The scriptures can be our well-worn friend. We can gain inspiration, comfort and knowledge from its pages. He certainly added more testimony to this month's Ensign dedicated to the Book of Mormon.

Barbara Thompson spoke about personal revelation and covenants.

I loved L. Whitney Clayton's testimony on the work of the Lord and His kingdom. "The sun never sets on God's work."

Our beloved Prophet, Thomas S. Monson spoke of temples and how important they are to us and they we visit them at least once in our lives, but we continue to do the temple work.

José L. Alonso informed us that happiness is found through following the example of Christ who served and loved others. He used the phrase, "Do the right thing, at the right time without delay" reminding me of one of my personal mottos in life "Good thought? Do it!"

Boyd K. Packer spoke mostly to my generation. His words reminded me a little of Brother Siegenthaler's words to me the past two Sundays in Switzerland. That my generation knows more about the gospel, is more mature and more faithful than his was when he was our age. Yet, we can still learn from his generation. 

About Crows

John Ciardi

The old crow is getting slow;

the young crow is not.

Of what the young crow does not know,

the old crow knows a lot.

At knowing things, the old crow is still

the young crow’s master.

What does the old crow not know?

How to go faster.

The young crow flies above, below, and rings

around the slow old crow.

What does the fast young crow not know?

WHERE TO GO.

His generation has a lot to offer ours. In fact, in April 2003 during General Conference there was a talk given entitled "The Golden Years" that has stayed with me ever since it was first spoken. However, it wasn't until this moment that I realized Boyd K. Packer was the one who gave that talk as well. I'm seeing a common theme here. But I'd personally recommend a person to read both side by side.

Then their was President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk, which I am seeing being quoted and spoken about on a majority of blogs and Facebook statuses.

"The Lord uses a scale very different from the world's to weigh the worth of a soul."

I loved when he quoted King Benjamin who said, "I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness"(Mosiah 4:11). But, "the worth of souls is great" (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10). All of God's creations, all that we can't even imagine or comprehend, was built for the benefit of man. We are everything to God. He loves us with a Perfect Love. You matter to Him.

And for this talk, given by President Uchtdorf, I found my brother's favorite song in the Children's Songbook (at least it was his favorite growing up). I believe it fits perfectly.

That's all for tonight. Tomorrow I'll get to listen to more of His words. How blessed we are, that no matter where we are, we have the ability to be able to hear a living prophet's words. What a comfort! What a blessing! It's truly miraculous.

Foods You Thought could be Found Anywhere

When you think pure American food, what is it that you imagine?

Personally, I had always imagined any fastfood staple such has hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries and soda. I've also imagined pizza. I've even imagined Mexican food, but I soon realized that it's called Mexican food for a reason even though I practically grew up with it.

(Though the Swiss do have their Mexican restaurants here. Which certainly does not fit my perception of Switzerland.)

I've discovered a few things though.

Sliced bread is American. There is no such thing as sliced bread in Switzerland. Except for one exception.  They call it "Toast" in English. Why? Because it's bread especially made for the toaster. It's not used for anything else.

There is a very rare thing called Peanut Butter here. It's only been introduced to the grocery stores here within the past five years. So peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Totally American.

Brown sugar can only be found on American military bases. They don't have it anywhere else. So have a recipe that calls for brown sugar? You'd better have a lot in your food storage or you make it yourself. Here there is only sugar and raw sugar.

Hamburger buns and hotdog buns. Also another food item you have to really know where to look in which grocery stores to find. Oh, and remember me saying there is no such thing as store bought sliced bread? This applies to the hamburger and hotdog buns. You slice it yourself.

Sloppy joes. Doesn't exist here. Meat isn't supposed to be sweet.

However, hamburgers and cheeseburgers are made at certain restaurants. But I wouldn't recommend buying and eating any from anywhere other than McDonald's and Burger King. It's like drinking water thinking it's Sprite.

The Swiss have an addiction to soda and energy drinks. I truly wasn't expecting that. Though I was expecting their addiction to tea. Oh, and you know Starbucks? In the States it's more used for it's coffee. In Switzerland it's more used for it's tea.

But, the Swiss do have their awesome cheese that makes any recipe that calls for cheese that much richer. I had no idea cheese could have so much power in food! They also have their amazing rich chocolate that I adore. They have chocolate pudding, that is chocolate pudding. They have their chocolate bread. Which is in the picture on top of the toast bread. It's a croissant with a chocolate filling. Love those. They may not have really sweet cookies, but their bread and their chocolate makes up for that.

Another interesting thing to note is that in Switzerland it is very difficult to not get non-organic fresh fruits and veggies. I honestly didn't know the difference until I was told.

But to tell you the absolute truth? I'm loving the food here.

How to be a European

I've gathered much of this information from relatives or observations. I find it interesting. I love the European people. They are very nice, just with a different culture to get used to.

Number One: You are a people watcher. You sit at a bench or a table outside (or even inside) and you really focus and stare at people until you see them look around because your stare is so intense they can feel it. Though that's just the foreigners that can feel it. After awhile you don't notice when you are being stared at. Currently, I can look outside and watch the older couple that live next door sit on their bench with their binoculars and look across the valley to the other mountains or the roads or I don't even know what. But Europeans like to watch.

Number Two: When you walk you don't smile. You especially don't smile to people you say hello to. But you do say hello or else it is like a slap in the face. But they think you are odd if you are smiling. Unless you're members of the church. They like to smile.

Number Three: If you wear a hat, it's part of your religion or you are very wealthy and you have an extremely attractive looking hat.

Number Four: School children all have the same uniformal backpack with different fabric. The schools expect the children to have all their different school supplies in the same place in every backpack.

Number Five: You bike. A lot. It doesn't matter what you are wearing, a business suit, a skirt, jeans, shorts, dresses, etc. You still bike.

Number Six: Children are to be well behaved. All the time. If they are not, then you feel extremely apologetic for your children.

Number Seven: You do not make lots of noise. You don't talk with a loud voice. Your laughter is even muted. You never yell.

Number Eight: You must be very fashionable. You wear expensive clothing. You do not wear PJ's or sweats in public which is anywhere outside the doors of where you live. You wear whatever fashion from any time period you want, but it must be expensive looking.

Number Nine: You know how to get from Point A to Point X without asking for directions or having a map or checking the schedules of the trains, buses, and trams. You know it by heart.

Number Ten: You must know at least three other languages. Not just know, but be very nearly fluent in all of them both in speech and writing.

Number Eleven: A one and a half hour trip to anywhere is classified as a very, very long ways.

Number Twelve: Owning a home is only for the very well-to-do families.

Number Thirteen: You find riding on the public transportation system with people in military dress carrying guns not very odd at all.

Number Fourteen: When you plan your vacations, you schedule and reserve places years in advance.

Number Fifteen: You are skinny.

Number Sixteen: You smoke and you don't mind it when others smoke right next to you either.

Number Seventeen: You own expensive, lovely cars and you drive fast.

Number Eighteen: You would never look for hotdog buns, hamburger buns, sliced bread, or peanut butter in the grocery store because the store doesn't stock them and you'd have no use for them anyways.

Number Nineteen: You have an assigned laundry day and time on that day.

Number Twenty: Do anything that could be considered work on Sunday will give you dirty looks. This includes any type of gardening.

Number Twenty-One: You only eat or make foods that are in season, because you won't be getting any food that is made out of season.

Number Twenty-Two: Drinking alcohol and tea is a cultural thing, and you are extremely rude to refuse. Unless you have a very good reason not to.

Things I've Learned about Children

This message was passed around on Facebook for those who it was applicable to.

Dirty dishes prove I feed my children, messy floors prove that I let my kids have fun, piles of clothes prove I keep my children in clean clothes, a messy bathroom proves that I bathe my children, and an un-made bed proves they had a warm place to sleep! So next time you walk into my house and see a mess think wow those kids are loved!

Someday I may actually type these words down (with slight variation), put them in a simple frame, and the hang it on the wall so it's one of the first things one sees upon entering my home. Then I wouldn't have to say anything to excuse any mess. Plus, it would be a great reminder to me that messes aren't always the end of the world.


Along with this, I've learned a few things one ought to know about children.

They do not like your schedule on when it's time for bed. They like to make up their own schedule. An hour before dinner, for example. Then they don't want to go to bed afterwards. They are also natural alarm clocks. They come into your room informing you that the sun is up and they are up, so why are you in bed? And you can't say, just a few more minutes...

They are really adorable when they are half asleep when they are just waking up. They are simply hilarious at this stage with their tired eyes and their sleepy smiles. They're plainly happy to see you.

When you decide to go on a little walk with them, and they inform you they do not want to ride in the stroller, you immediately make sure they know they will have to walk all the way. Especially, since if you carried them on the way home up the mountain, your arms will fall off. You know this from experience. Yet, later, when you are coming back up the mountain to go home, you give in because you see how exhausted they are. Well, you give in until your arms fall off.

Do not plan to arrive anywhere quickly. To begin, it takes awhile to get kids ready. You need to find shoes, socks, and perhaps their clothes if they've decided to take them off and put them in a location no one is aware of. If you are driving, you realize that you forgot a number of things and have to run back in the house multiple times to get all of it, but you notice you still forgot something when you are halfway to your destination. If you are walking, the children will stop to see every flower in bloom, every bug, the source of every noise, the cracks in the ground, old leaves to crumple up and anything else that captures their attention and imagination. It's wonderful and causes you to truly think about the things we are blessed with.

Expect them to try to eat like an adult with their spoons and forks, but realize they will make a mess anyways as the food is too stubborn to stay on their utensils so they use their hands to scoop it up onto their spoons, miss their mouths but not their faces or their stomachs.

Comprehend that there is a mystical force that totally destroys a room you just cleaned when your back is turned for just a second. There is also a force that causes children to ruin things in less than a second. So just don't be under the illusion that all the expensive things will miraculously make it through a childhood.

Finally, the last thing to know about children are that they are extremely precious little bundles of love and are perhaps the greatest teachers in the world.

Institute in Switzerland

Things I love about Institute in Switzerland:

Translators
These people are truly the greatest people ever. You have no idea how awkwardly odd you can feel until you are in a place that is half familiar to you, yet you can't understand most of what is said. It's crazy. I'm so grateful for returned missionaries and for missionaries who are from an English speaking area serving in Switzerland, such as Elder Field from London, England if anyone knows him.

Food
They serve actually meals after institute. So not only do you get Swiss chocolate in the class, but you get delicious food afterwards. The reason for the full-blown European meals (meaning it's like a lunch) after institute is because so many people arrived straight from work or the university and didn't have a chance to eat a dinner. Plus, most have a long time before they arrive home as well. Takes a long time to get from the stake center to home for most. But I love the food.

Friendly LDS Swiss people who speak English and can help me get from Point A to Point X when we have to get on a bus, get off at the right stop, get on a tram, get off at the right stop, get on a train, and get off at the right stop.
I love LDS Swiss people who speak English. Very, very helpful. Plus, you actually can make a friend without having a huge issue of a language barrier to overcome. They want to hear about America. They want to know how long you've been here and how long you'll stay and what you've be able to do and see. You are extremely happy to be able to have communication occurring with people who don't totally intimate you. I'm so grateful that there is an institute here and that I'm going to it. Wonderful people with great personalities and big hearts.



So it was a great day today with that alone. Let alone all the other things I was able to do. Went up a gondola lift to the top of a mountain and took some pictures. Gorgeous. Beautiful. Breathtaking. Pictures do not adequately capture everything you wish it could. But I tried.