182 Years...

Just if you were wondering... the Church was organized on Apr. 6, 1830. 182 years ago today.

Complaining, and a Poem

I am getting bored with the blog.
Mostly because you guys are probably getting bored with it.
I'm not planning on stopping.
I'm just not sure what to do with this blog right now, because it's hard to be spending so much time writing posts all of the time when I'm not sure if people really read them.
I mean, I have page views... just no feedback, and I'm kinda bugged that clicking on the page dictates a "page view," but people could click off two seconds later and I'd never know.

Haha - was that enough complaining? Because I know that there are some of you who really do read, and I am very grateful for you people.

*sigh* I'm not really sure what to do with the running-out-of-ideas thing. I just don't know what to blog about anymore.
Should I broaden the things I post about?
Maybe a change like that would give me more things to blog about...
But... I don't want to lose what this blog was originally created for... and how do I find a balance?

Hmmm... feedback would be immensely appreciated.
I'll probably end up stewing over this for 24 straight hours and then not change anything, because I don't even know where to start.

Thank you for listening to (reading) my complaints. I'm going to go eat some double-stuf oreos and decide what to do with this blog...

(It will still exist... I'm not done blogging!)

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     Now... I don't feel like creating a post... Haha. 

     I know. I will share a poem (sorta. it really isn't a poem...) that I have been dying to share, but haven't found a post where it fits in yet. I suppose it can have its own post. 

You cannot stay on the summit forever; 

you have to come down again.

So why bother in the first place? 

Just this: 

What is above knows what is below, 

but what is below does not know what is above. 

One climbs, one sees. 

One descends, one sees no longer, 

but one has seen. 

There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions

by the memory of what one saw higher up. 

When one can no longer see, 

one can at least still know.

(Rene Daumal)

     I love that quote. I suppose it actually could've gone with the last post I did. (here)

It's all about perspective. Like I mentioned in the last post, there will be times in your life when you will have amazing spiritual experiences. Never forget those experiences that you have, and let them change your perspective. 

     There have been times when I've felt the Holy Ghost really strong, and at those times, I wanted to do nothing other than read my scriptures and listen to hymns... haha. I know, because I've felt the Spirit, that the gospel is and should always be most important in my life. At any time in my life, I can think about those truths and remember how happy the Spirit makes me, and made me at that time. I am blessed with a renewed motivation to live the gospel fully.

     Does that make sense? 

     Dang. That totally would've gone with that last post.   :)

The end. Have a lovely Wednesday evening. I'll be staying up late and sleeping in even later. I love spring break.   :)

Now. Comments? Please? About the above complaining part?

You guys rock.

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My Conference Highlights [Part One] - True Conversion and Spiritual Experiences

     Okay. Long time no see, right? I haven't blogged in a week. That may be the longest gap as of yet. (Not counting when my computer was broken last December. I've created a mental block of those weeks. That was a very dark time, yes. Haha...)


     Anyways. Conference. I hope that you watched with attentiveness. If you took notes, double points for you.


"Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." [D&C 1:38]

     When you listen to the Prophet or apostles speak, you are hearing God's will. I think most of us would say that when God reveals things to us, we want to hear it. Why then, do people not make it a priority to watch General Conference? There is always something shared that can speak to you. 


     If you missed any of the sessions, you can watch them here. Text for the talks will be available Thursday. Sometimes it is easier just to read them. 


     So for the next couple of posts, I would like to go over a few of my favorite talks. (I'm not actually sure how many "parts" this little series will have. Who knows, this may be the only one, but I'm sorta thinking 2-3...)




     One talk that I loved was in the Saturday Morning Session... "The Gospel and the Church" - by Donald L. Hallstrom.



(Hopefully you've already heard this talk, but if you haven't, or if you need some refreshing, here's the talk for your convenience. I'm surprised that all of the talks have already been uploaded to youtube. Sweet.)


Here are some of my favorite quotes from this talk:

     "Sometimes we use the terms 'Gospel' and 'Church' interchangeably, but they are not the same. They are, however, exquisitely interconnected, and we need both."

     "Some have come to think of activity in the Church as the ultimate goal. Therein lies a danger. It is possible to be active in the Church, and less active in the Gospel."

     "How much faith do we really have? How repentant are we? How meaningful are the ordinances in our lives? How focused are we on our covenants?"

     "We need the Gospel and the Church."

     "We often wonder: 'How can someone be fully active in the Church as a youth, and then not be when they're older? How can an adult, who has regularly attended and served, stop coming? How can a person who is disappointed by a leader or another member allow that to end their church participation?' Perhaps the reason is they were not sufficiently converted to the Gospel, the things of eternity."

     "The Lord wants the members of His Church to be fully converted to His Gospel. This is the only sure way to have spiritual safety now and happiness forever."


     If you never heard the talk, do you get the basic message? True conversion. 

     Hopefully you understand the concept of true conversion, because it is different than just being a member of the Church.

     There are some members of the Church who have been members their entire life, but do not follow the commandments. There are other members who are converts, and maybe have had the Gospel a shorter time, but they are more faithful and valiant. There are some people who have had the gospel their entire life, and it is their highest priority.

What is the difference between these different types of people? They've all been exposed to the same teachings.

     The difference is that some are not truly converted.

     Say you were born into the Church and were baptized when you were eight. You have grown up in the Church your whole life. There comes a time, however, when you must become truly converted. That is when you fully believe in the Gospel and its teachings, and you understand that nothing should be more important in your life.
     True conversion requires a change of heart.

     -----

     How can we get this change of heart? Well, "ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." [Ether 12:6].

     Keep the commandments. Pray often. Go to church. Read your scriptures often. Try really hard to have a spiritual balance in your life. When you are to this point, pray for a witness. Pray for a special experience. Pray that the Holy Ghost will tell you that what you are doing is right. 

     You will receive a witness. 

     Now is when another talk comes in... "To Hold Sacred" - by Paul B. Pieper (Sunday afternoon).

     (It's a long quote, but really good.)

"At times we may feel vulnerable and in need of greater spiritual assurances. The Lord told Oliver Cowdrey, 'If you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know the truth of these things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have, than from God?' The Lord reminded Oliver - and us - to rely on sacred personal witnesses already received when our faith is challenged. Like Moses, Alma, and Joseph before, these divine encounters serve as spiritual anchors to keep us safe and on course in times of trial." 

- Paul B. Pieper

     Times of doubt will still come for most of us... but when that happens, never forget those witnesses you received. Never forget the times when the Holy Spirit enveloped you. Write those experiences down!

     For me, I always think of a night at EFY when I felt the Spirit so strong that it was almost tangible. It was such a happy feeling, and I knew that the Gospel should always be the most important thing in my life. I always want that feeling within reach. 

     If I ever have times when I have doubts - times when Satan is working on me - I just remember experiences like that. I remember what I felt then, and how it was undeniable. It washes all doubts away. 

     I think that is what Elder Pieper is trying to say... never forget those special experiences, because in times of trial, it's important to have those witnesses to look back on. 

(To read all of Elder Pieper's talk, click here.)

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Use Media to do Good!

     Okay... a different sort of post today...
That video above seriously amazes me... There were good things and bad things shared in that video, but I think that it overall gives you a good idea at how CRAZY our world is today. You have to be really careful on the internet, because there are things that are terrible and scary out there... But the internet (And all forms of media) can be a good thing too. Those good things are what I want this post to be focused on.

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"Because of its sheer size, media today presents vast and sharply contrasting options. Opposite from its harmful and permissive side, media offers much that is positive and productive. Television offers history channels, discovery channels, education channels. One can still find movies and TV comedies and dramas that entertain and uplift and accurately depict the consequences of right and wrong. The Internet can be a fabulous tool of information and communication, and there is an unlimited supply of good music in the world. Thus our biggest challenge is to choose wisely what we listen to and what we watch."
-M. Russell Ballard

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     There is a huge difference in the types of media produced by the church a couple of decades ago to now. Ha - I'm thinking about some of the older videos made by the Church that now seem a little cheesy to us... not that they didn't have good information, they were just made in a time when media wasn't all that it is now. 
     You've probably noticed that I very rarely do a post without an accompanying video. I actually have more posts labeled under "videos" than anything else. There are hundreds of videos made by the Church that all share wholesome and uplifting messages... and they are very well-made.


     The internet is a brilliant way for many of us to do missionary work. I suppose that's sorta my goal for this blog... I want to share my thoughts on gospel principles with lots of people. You can do the same. (And you don't have to create a blog...) 
-Share Church videos on Facebook! 
-Visit the Church's website often! 
-Create a profile on mormon.org!
-Follow mormon.org, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (that was a lot to type), and many others on Facebook for inspirational messages!


Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.


     Do not be ashamed of the gospel! Share it with your friends! 


     And lastly, don't forget that the internet can be bad, but can also be an awesome resource full of good things. I love the internet! And it's probably obvious to you that I spend a lot of time on it... just don't forget that you need to be careful. Monitor how much time you spend on the computer and watching TV. Nothing replaces spending good family time together.


     The media is a POWERFUL thing. Use it to do good, not bad. 





P.S. Did you know that those three dots that people use in the middle of a sentence is called an ellipsis? I'm noticing that I use the ellipsis a lot... (Ha ha - I suppose I just did it again!)

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Young Women General Meeting 2012: Arise and Shine

D&C 115:5 - Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations;


     What a brilliant idea and theme for all - not just the youth... because others WILL notice your example... good or bad. If you hold high standards and never sway in them, people will see the light of Christ shining in your countenance. 


     And they will want that light.


     So don't be afraid to share the gospel with a friend. I promise that it will bless your life and also the life of that person. You can be an instrument in the Lord's hands. 

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     Oh yeah, and don't forget about General Conference next weekend! Help spread the word with the following video:

An Easy and Fun Way to Help With Genealogy

     What is indexing? Like the video above said, original documents - birth/death certificates, marriage licenses, military forms... basically anything with information on it - are found and then digitalized so that they can be saved.
     Volunteers sift through all of the photos and key the information into the computer... things like their name, spouse, parents, birthday... stuff like that. After the names are indexed, people on the Family Search website (or those using other programs like ancestry.com or RootsMagic) can search for a relative's name, and all of the information indexed will pop up.
     For members of the Church, that means that we can quite possibly find names to take to the temple.
     The youth in our ward have all signed up so that we can start indexing. Let me tell you, I am already hooked. It is so easy and strangely addicting... and a very easy way to do service and help people so that they can further their family history.

     I'm serious... it is SO easy. Go here to get started. All you have to do is download the software and create an account. (If you already have an LDS account, then that will work.) Just so you know, if you need to create an account, you will need your Church membership number. If you don't know it, no worries. Just talk to your bishopric (probably the ward clerk, actually...), and they will give it to you.
     Once the software is downloaded and you have logged in, a video will pop up explaining the program to you. It is only like six minutes long.
     That's it! You are ready! Now you just go through documents and read them so that you can key in the information that is asked for. If you can't read the handwriting, send it back and you can get a new document. I am very new to this, but I'm having a lot of fun with it. It also feels good to know that the names I'm entering in are more than just names. They are people, who lived and died, and who now need our help.

     Starting April 2nd, you can help index the 1940 Census. There were over 130,000,000 people in the U.S. at that time, and it will be a huge project to index all of those documents. What's cool is that 1940 wasn't really that long ago. We all know people that were alive at that time (they only have to be like 72 or older), and it's neat to know that is the generation we will be helping. It is these people and their parents/grandparents that need our help now... People you may know or deceased people that you are closely related to...




     Just do it. It will be so worth it, and it makes you feel good to know that you are helping people. It may look intimidating at first, but it is so incredibly easy. Trust me. You will love it, and then you will want to spread the word to your friends!

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Always Grateful...

"Recognize the blessings that are raining down on you
and enjoy them with thanks. (See D&C 105:12)"

     First of all, that video reminded me of this post...

     Okay. In my opinion, people should every night ask themselves if they saw God's hand in their life that day. I think that everyone, every day, could answer yes to that question.
     Here were my two favorite quotes from this video...
"The more often we see the things around us, even the beautiful and wonderful things, the more they become invisible to us." 


"Because we see things so often, we see them less and less."

     It's so true. Noticing and being grateful for the little things in your life is so important, because that way you will never forget about all of the beautiful things that God has created.
     To so many people, what stands out are the bad things. Well... there are a lot of bad things going on in the world, but there are also so many good things. Ultimately, people are good. They were made to be that way.

"Our society is afflicted by a spirit of thoughtless arrogance unbecoming those who have been so magnificently blessed. How grateful we should be for the bounties we enjoy. Absence of gratitude is the mark of the narrow, uneducated mind. It bespeaks a lack of knowledge and the ignorance of self-sufficiency. It expresses itself in ugly egotism and frequently in wanton mischief. We have seen our beaches, our parks, our forests littered with ugly refuse by those who evidently have no appreciation for their beauty.”

- Gordon B. Hinckley 

FYI:

egotism: self-centeredness

wanton: deliberate 

     So... I offer you a challenge (It's an easy one). For the next couple of weeks, try to spend just five minutes each night thinking about the things that you have been blessed with that day. Like I said earlier, think "How has God touched my life today?" Doing this will help you to be more aware and to notice the good things around you. 

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Now... I need you to help me out. This wasn't a super long post, which might be a good thing... because some of my posts get pretty long. I don't suppose that you guys enjoy reading those long posts very much... because they are pretty wordy sometimes. 

     So... do you think that I should start doing shorter posts? If I did, I would probably post more often, as they are easier to write. I don't mean like, way short, maybe about the length of this one that you just read... give or take.

What do you think? Comment below!

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Blessed are the Pure in Heart

     Just a quick post because I wanted to share a story... it is a story that I read in this book today.... and it's awesome.
     Just so that you know before you read, this was experienced and later shared by Jon M. Huntsman Sr.

Enjoy.

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     I learned this important lesson during a time I had the privilege of serving as the stake president (the ecclesiastical leader) for Howard W. Hunter, then the prophet and President of the Church. He was a dear and trusted friend. On one occasion, I felt the Spirit move me to go by his home to see how he was doing. When I knocked on the door, his wife said, "President Huntsman, come on in. We knew you would come by. President Hunter told me a few minutes ago, 'President Huntsman will come by our home this evening to see how I'm feeling.'"
     When I went in, he was leaning back in his recliner, looking pale and quite ill. When I asked him what I could do to help, he said "I would like a priesthood blessing. Would you be kind enough to give me one?" I said I would be honored and humbled to do so and asked if he wouldn't mind explaining the nature of his illness.
     He responded, "Today I had an ill thought toward another man, and it's made me physically and emotionally sick all day. Every bone in my body aches. My heart burns because I had a negative thought in my heart toward another person. Would you bless me that any harsh thoughts toward any man or woman would dissipate immediately and be eradicated from body and heart, mind and soul?"
     So I placed my hands on his head and, as soon as I did so, I thought of Matthew 5:8: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." I had just put my hands on the head of a man who was so pure in heart that it made him physically ill if he had negative feelings toward anyone. That was one of my greatest experiences, to learn from such a pure man the impact of carrying ill thoughts toward another.

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     That is an awesome story that stood out to me, because it is crazy to think that something like this could happen. Howard W. Hunter had a very, very pure heart. (Along with all of our other prophets)...

Psalms 24

3 - Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4 - He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

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I don't really know how to end this post, because I just wanted to share that story... so... bye.

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If You Can, Visit Often.

 Ezekiel 37:26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.




   
     Yes, they were away for 4 years...

     So... here's a thought... I know that most of you reading this blog are probably thirty minutes away - or less... from the nearest temple...
     Yet... it seems that so few of us visit the temple as often as we should. There are people all around the world that save for years just so that they can visit the temple once. We are building more and more temples around the world, so that is helping a lot of people, but there are still many members who drive for hours - or fly - to get to the nearest temple. 


Here's a similar story...

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Brother and Sister Vaha‘i Tonga of the Tongan Islands sacrificed in order to go to the temple. “It was not easy for a Tongan Saint to save enough money for such a journey. It took months of preparation and saving, but finally the money was gathered and plans were made.”

However, the mission president came to Brother Tonga and asked him to contribute toward a chapel to be built in his branch all the money he had saved to go to the temple. If he did not do this, it would be two more years before a chapel could be built there. Brother Tonga discussed the situation with his wife.

“It was difficult to give up their dream of seeing the new temple,” but the next day they gave the money to the mission president. “That night [Brother Tonga] … said [to his wife]: ‘Honey, the Lord has promised us through our leaders that if we keep his commandments he will prepare some way that we will be able to go to the dedication [of the New Zealand Temple]. We have cows, pigs, and some horses, besides furniture and mats. Let’s sell it all so that we may be able to receive the blessings of the dedication.’ ”

Brother Tonga and his wife tried to sell their livestock on Thursday and Friday, but no one would buy. Time was getting short. The following Monday the ship bound for New Zealand was to leave. Brother Tonga related:

“ ‘On Saturday morning three families came who needed some cows, pigs, and other things, and we received between $500 and $600 in about half an hour.’ ” They now had the money and would be able to go.

Brother Tonga and his wife were the first couple to be sealed in the New Zealand Temple. But the story does not end there. Brother Tonga said:

“ ‘When my wife and I were sealed to each other, something touched my heart. Our children were not with us, and tears came to my eyes. When we arrived home I promised our four children that if they would help, we could go to the temple together. I thought to myself, “How can you say, be a good boy or be a good girl, if I am not sealed to them in the temple?” I had the feeling that they were not mine.

“ ‘For two years we sacrificed almost everything. I divided my pay from school for each one of us, and we saved that. But we paid our tithing and fast offerings. We were left with 70¢ … a month for two years. We lived on what we could grow and gather. … My children could not buy candy or shoes or go to movies because they were saving to go to the temple. …  

“ ‘To save on transportation costs I also rode my bicycle to district meetings … seven miles away. … Most of our district meetings began at 6:00 a.m. so I had to leave home very early in the morning.

“ ‘When the deadline came for getting our money in, … the two oldest boys said they had about $235. After saving for two years the little one [who was five years old] had saved $65. I had saved almost $1,300 for my family.

“ ‘Through sacrifice we were able to take our family to New Zealand to be sealed in the temple. We had to do some extra things to accomplish our goals, but it was a great blessing to us.’ ”

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     Okay... I know that this post may not apply to everyone reading this, but if it applies to you, if you have a temple nearby, make it a goal to go more often.
     If you already go pretty often, that's great. Kudos to you, seriously... because it can be hard to find time to do it a lot...
     Just a little challenge to you... try to make time. It's so important, and hopefully you've seen that people all over the world sacrifice a lot just to go once...

Here's a quote that I liked... It's not exactly about visiting the temple, but I think that it shows the sacrifice that have always gone into these beautiful temples...

"No effort was spared [in the building of the original Nauvoo Temple]. No sacrifice was too great. Through . . . five years men chiseled stone and laid footings and foundation, walls and ornamentation. Hundreds went to the north, there to live for a time to cut lumber, vast quantities of it, and then bind it together to form rafts which were floated down the river to Nauvoo. Beautiful moldings were cut from that lumber. Pennies were gathered to buy nails. Unimaginable sacrifice was made to procure glass. They were building a temple to God, and it had to be the very best of which they were capable.

"In the midst of all of this activity, the Prophet and his brother Hyrum were killed in Carthage on the 27th of June 1844. . . .

"But Brigham Young, President of the Quorum of the Twelve, picked up the reins. Joseph had placed his authority upon the shoulders of the Apostles. Brigham determined to finish the temple, and the work went on. By day and by night they pursued their objective, notwithstanding all of the threats hurled against them by lawless mobs. In 1845 they knew they could not stay in the city they had built from the swamplands of the river. They knew they must leave. It became a time of feverish activity: first, to complete the temple, and secondly, to build wagons and gather supplies to move into the wilderness of the West."

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Scripture Marking Saturday... Sorta.

     My last post says that it was published on Saturday, which is true, but it was like 12:30 am when I posted it, so in my head, that was yesterday.

     Okay. Normally on Saturdays I would just share a scripture and thought or whatever, but I decided to share a scripture and video, because they are both brilliant reminders for just about anyone...

     I think that procrastination is a problem for most people... There are always some things that it is easier to put off, so that is what we do. I definitely don't blame you, as there are always times when we don't use our time wisely...

     I wouldn't normally share a Scripture Mastery scripture on Saturdays, because my goal is to introduce you to really good scriptures that aren't as well-known... but I guess this week is the exception. :)




Joshua 24:15 - And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

(This doesn't seem like an anti-procastination scripture, but watch the following video... it will make more sense after.)



    So, I suppose the above scripture isn't one that you would read and afterward think, "Okay. I will not procrastinate now."
     Like I said, that isn't the first connection that you would make in your head, but I think that this scripture gives counsel on many subjects... You just have to read it enough that those counsels will stand out to you.

     I'm sure that when I first read that scripture, I thought about how I would serve the Lord. After watching this video, the words this day also stand out to me. There are certain decisions that you need to make now, and one of them is that you will choose to serve the Lord.
     The now part is important, because you may come to a point in your life where you will be tested on this, and if you make a decision now to keep the commandments, you will not even have to hesitate when making the right choice, because your whole life, you have known exactly where you stand on that.


And like he said in the video, we do not know how many days we will have. Choose to do service this day, because you may not have a chance tomorrow.

     Hopefully after reading this, you will not only take the lessons that this scripture teaches to heart, but you will also hopefully learn that the scriptures can teach us many different things.
     That is why scripture study should be done when you have time to focus and learn from what you are reading. Study every verse thoroughly, and you will get more out of it.

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