Charity

I was actually a pretty bitter and angry teenager for a long while. I was not nice and I just thought it was honesty. It started in 11th grade when I started to become nicer and more considerate of others very very slowly, but really it started my senior year when my seminary teacher gave our class a motto, Moroni 7:45-48. I thought it was meant for some of the other students in my class, but I came to realize that it was for me. I began to take it to heart and I tried to love those around me more.

I still struggle with pride, but it's easier to be kind and have charity towards those around us when we try and think good things about them. Today I heard something very profound: be kind to those around you, even if they are mean, because a lot of the time they do not know kindness because they aren't taught it at home. This is a great quote on charity in my opinion. When others do not know the pure love of Christ, but we do, we should show them. Sometimes the pure love of Christ is tough love and love from afar, but sometimes it's a hug or listening or even just speaking softly towards someone. I admit, I am not perfect, and I still struggle with this, but it's come a lot easier and if I work on it I can develop charity more and more. 

I testify that Jesus Christ lives, and loves me, and each and every one of you. If we work to love our brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors, enemies and family, then we will become more and more like Chrsit. I believe this with all of my heart. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Legacies

"We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression." (Articles of Faith 1:2)

This article of faith says a few things about what we believe: children are born innocent, children do not answer for their parents' sins, and that the Fall of man is a blessing. 

We believe that children are innocent and pure, incapable of sin until the age of eight, the age of accountability. We do not believe in the baptism of infants. In Moroni chapter eight it talks about why we do not baptize young children. Christ came to save the sinners, to be physician to the sick. Children are considered "whole" and not capable of committing sin. If God were to condem all the children who have died before the age of eight, he would be an imperfect being. Since children are incapable of committing sin, then he would be an impartial God who denies the blessings of heaven to the other innocent children who died without baptism. We also believe that people should leave a good inheritance for our children. This does not mean money necessarily, it means that when we die we should leave the world a better place than when we arrived. Raising upstanding members of society, being a good example of a disciple of Christ, lower national debt, etc. 

In John 9:1-3, there was a man blind from birth and Jesus' disciples asked Jesus who had sinned, the man's parents or the blind man. Jesus answered that neither had sinned to cause this man's blindness. The sins of parents do not transfer to their children. 

Adam and Eve were given two commandments: do not eat the forbidden fruit and have children. They could not have possibly been able to follow both commandments. The first would mean they had to be innocent forever and not have children. The second would mean they would have to eat from the tree and die eventually. If Adam and Eve didn't eat the forbidden fruit, the Plan of Salvation would have been brought to a halt. We would never have been able to have bodies, and thus never have the opportunity to become like our Father in heaven. We honor Adam and Eve as our first parents. 

I am very grateful for the opportunity to come to this earth and experience true joy. I testify that I know that God has a plan for me. That plan is possible because Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit and Christ suffered, died, and then was resurrected so that we can have the opportunity to gain eternal life. I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Questions, comments, cheese? All are welcome (except for the cheese, please don't mail me cheese)! 

My walls

Walls can be symbols of protection and isolation, but today I'm to talk about something a little different. Bedroom walls.  Everyone has posters and stuff up in their room, so do I. The way I define my decorations of my walls is a collage of everything that is me and what I'm trying to be.

Starting from fifth grade, fifth grade was the first time I had a teacher that supported me, and I had friends who I genuinely loved. I have several successes from fifth grade pinned upon my wall.

I have all of my camp awards up. I loved my YCLs my third and fourth years at camp, and I could tell that they really worked hard at being YCLs those years. I loved them for effort and kindness. They paid attention to us and were so wonderful and Christlike.

I have lots of stuff from my wonderful Young Women leaders. Through my entire career in the youth program my leaders made it clear where my heart needs to be, and that is the temple. I have several pictures of the temple on my walls because of this.

I have some pictures of myself when I was a baby up on my walls. My parents love me so much and I feel this through looking at these pictures. I have my Daddy Doll on a shelf where I can see it before I go to bed. Daddy Dolls are given to kids when their dad deploys, the face of the doll has a clear sheath that you can slip a picture of your daddy in. It gives kids a way to snuggle with their daddy while he is deployed. I love that daddy doll, and am and always will be an Army Brat.

My newest addition is the lovely note one of my Activity Day girls wrote me about how much she loves Activity Days and she loves me.

My favorite pieces are of my Savior. I have several and they convey the warm kindness that I need day to day.

Our bedroom walls are like our lives, if we surround ourselves with positivity and love, that's what we will feel. If we surround ourselves with good people, good books, good tv shows, and the gospel we will come to know our Savior better and realize that we are happy. I testify to you that surrounding yourself with good things and people will bless you exponentially. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

"Me" does things differently

I've never understood the urge that some people have to fit in. I just can't stand the idea of doing what everyone else is doing. I am me. "Me" does things differently. I am different and I've accepted that. I am talented and unique. I think for myself and make my own decisions. I don't care what other people think of me or my actions. The only ones I answer to for my perfectly legal and commandment following oddities are my God and my own conscience.

I wear long socks with shorts. I don't drink, smoke, snort, or any of that other stupid stuff that kids do nowadays. I drink chamomile tea. I wash my hair once or twice a week. I love and wear pinup and retro hairstyles. I will not have sex until I am married, and then only with the man I am married to. I don't straighten my hair (the hair stylist doesn't count because that rolls into getting a haircut). Everything I do has a reason. I can pull apart every single thing I've listed and give you a health, faith, or just plain personal preference for it.

I am a child of God. He knows and loves me for who I am. He has given the Church commandments and morals for a reason, and that is too make us more free. I am more free to make my own decisions a when I am not intoxicated. I am more free when I am dressing modestly because I am more comfortable, I do not have to worry about anyone seeing certain sacred parts of my body, and I am following one of my God's commandments.

By being who we are and by following the commandments we will never be the most popular kids in school. We will never be the most noticed. We will never be the most talked about. I never was. Because I didn't party, I didn't get into any trouble. Because I didn't cheat, I didn't have the best of grades in some classes. Because I have dressed modestly, I was asked if I was homeschooled (yes, that actually happened...). The point is that we should not strive to be popular or to fit in, those always have a fading and changing definition that no human being can possibly keep up with. The only person you should be concerned about being popular with is God. I leave with you the testimony that Jesus Christ lives and His Father sent him to earth to live like us, so that he could take upon himself the pains, sicknesses, afflictions, and sins of His people (us). He did that so that we may be free. Don't take that for granted. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Without a doubt

"...I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

 

"It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other--This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

 

"My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)--and which I should join.

"I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”

Joseph Smith—History 1:16-19

http://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1?lang=eng

My freshman year of high school was studied the Doctrine and Covenants and Joseph Smith History 1:15-20 was a scripture mastery verse (set of verses). I read them and reread them. They were awesome and amazing but I don't truly take them to heart until camp. We were reading these aloud and I got to read verse seventeen. I felt the Spirit so powerfully, more powerful than I ever had at that point in my life. I was fourteen, the same age as Joseph when he saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Almost a year ago I was helping my friend prepare her lesson in Young Women on the importance of the scriptures. We had the computer read some of Joseph Smith History aloud with the audio setting, but it cut off at verse fifteen. I knew that we had to era those aloud. Again I felt the Spirit so powerfully as I read verse seventeen and eighteen. I eventually had to give that lesson because my friend got sick, but I felt the Spirit very strongly again as I have her lesson.

Today I had the opportunity to meet with the missionaries and a friend. I was able to explain the First Vision (when Joseph saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ). Again the Spirit was very powerful as I explained this.

I have no doubt in my mind about whether or not Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ. I have no doubt in my mind that the Book of Mormon is God's word. That it is written for us now. I leave you with this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I am my brother's brother

"I may not be my brother’s keeper, I am my brother’s brother, and 'because I have been given much, I too must give.' " Jeffrey R. Holland

This is taken from a talk about service and caring for the less fortunate, but when I first read this quote it brought me back to something I was thinking about a while ago, "why do I want to serve a mission?" And automatically this thought came to mind, "The happiness I have I can't keep to myself. I want to share it with those I love, and I genuinely love my friends." The happiness I get from the gospel, knowing my Savior, and His plan for me brings me to want to share it. I love my friends. I love YOU. I testify that this happiness can be YOURS. :) in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Temple opportunities as an answer to prayers

For a while I was praying for an opportunity to be able to go do baptisms for the dead for my family. I called the temple and found that there were only three options: go with the youth from my ward, come on the last and first weeks of the month at 6:30 pm, or come with another ward and call them. I still wish I could be able to call ahead and create my own appointment, but alas I can't. I decided that I could do the first one since I did not want to get home at 9-10 pm and I did not want to go with a ward I didn't know. I wanted to have people I know do the work for my family.

I was praying for a baptism trip. Lo and behold there was a youth temple trip yesterday (I went) and one with the YSAs this coming Saturday. I am so grateful for the opportunity to do the work for my family twice in a row :).