it was more.

One of my favorite quotes from General Conference (here!) was Bishop Caussé's quote, "Is the gospel still wonderful to you?"

Such a powerful question to ponder, especially considering the fact that he spoke on Easter sunday. As much as we remind ourselves and others that "Easter is about Christ," do we really feel it? Do we really take time to fully appreciate the Savior's infinite Atonement and what it means for us?

The answer is NO - no one truly appreciates it enough. You see, as I've pondered the Savior's life a little more than usual these last few days, I've come to more fully understand that no one could possibly appreciate the Atonement, the Resurrection, or the Savior's life and ministry as a whole enough because we simply can't. We literally can't because we don't have a wide enough perspective.

The Atonement was everything to mankind. Everything. Think of the best thing that has ever happened to you in your life. Think of the one thing that brings you the most joy. It's a part of your life because of Christ. You couldn't even be here reading this without Christ.



The Atonement was a perfect gift. It was infinite sacrifice. It was the purest manifestation of love the world has ever seen. And somehow, it was more.

The Savior's Resurrection was nothing short of miraculous. It epitomized the words wonderful and marvelous. It is the reason bereaved individuals everywhere can continue to live with hope. And somehow, it was also more.

Friends, the gospel truly is wonderful. And the gospel is more than just the scriptures, sacrament meeting, and temple attendance. It encompasses more than the restoration story, it is more than the ten commandments. It is more than any words I or anyone else could ever put down on paper. It's more than your mind could ever conceive.

The word "wonderful" doesn't even begin to describe the gospel. But because all we have are our words, as humble as they may be, descriptors like "wonderful," "marvelous," "breathtaking," and "amazing" will simply have to do.

But I hope you know that the gospel is more. The Atonement was more. It was the most important event to ever happen in the history of all the earth, and yet, somehow, it was still more.




Thank you, Jesus, for who you are and for what you did. And for what you are still doing. I am so grateful.

Haley.

choosing fearlessness

Hey folks!
Can you tell from my lack of posting that I am really getting back into the swing of school?
Joy. (<sarcasm)
General Conference took place last weekend. If you missed it or just want to review some of the talks, click here! 


I wanted to talk about one of my favorite things said during General Conference last week. 

First, I should probably add that I had some things bothering me that I had prayed about before General Conference. I am a SENIOR now, and it won't be too much longer before I have to leave my family and go away to college. I know that it's for the best and that I will be starting an exciting new chapter in my life, but right now I'm really really dreading it and I feel sad and afraid. I know that a lot of kids feel nothing but excitement to go out on their own, but that is definitely not me. I'm a huge home-body and will be leaving behind not just my home, but my parents and all of my siblings. I know that I can always come home if I need to, but a lot will still change, and I really feel sad about it. 
So, that being said, one of the things I prayed for was that I could somehow feel okay about leaving my home next year. 

I know that God heard my prayer, and I heard something during Elder Lynn G. Robbins's talk that meant a lot to me. He said: 

"The Savior, the only perfect being who ever lived, was the most FEARLESS."

The most fearless. Christ endured so much pain, so much scorn, was tempted, was tried, and yet He was fearless through it all. 

Life isn't always - or even usually - peachy. Most of us are probably constantly worrying about something, whether it is something large or small. 
But fear can be very debilitating. Fear can keep us from Jesus Christ. Even though He has promised that He will carry our burdens, we usually don't let Him! We choose heaviness and fear instead of joy and faith. We choose to feel anxiety instead of feeling liberated through Christ's grace. 

We must remember to let go and let God take care of things. 

I promise - I promise - that He knows what He is doing. I've seen it in my own life, dear friends. I've endured hard things and asked God why I am asked to bear the burdens I am given. But, in time, I always find that everything works out for my good. 
Sometimes I have to remember to keep an eternal perspective. We won't always be blessed for enduring our trials in this life, but I know that with God, everything is one eternal round. 
We are not earthly beings, we are heavenly beings. We came from God's presence, and if we endure well, we will return to God's presence. When you think of it that way, our earthly fears seem like such trivial matters. 

I want to spend my whole life trying to live like the Savior. I am so, SO not perfect, but every day I am trying to develop Christlike attributes. So, after hearing this talk, I've decided that the next attribute that I need to work on is fearlessness. 
Join with me? We all have something we are trying to overcome. I don't know you, reader, but I know that there is something in your life that makes you afraid.

The beautiful thing, though, is that we don't have to be afraid. We can give Christ our burdens and choose to live as He did. Fearless.

So, with that, I will face the next year of my life with my eye single to the glory of God. I will remember Christ in all I do. I will follow His example and I will be fearless. 
I will have courage to move forward, and I am going to choose to feel excited about my future.

We all have bright futures. It doesn't matter what is going on in your life or what has gone on in your life. You can be fearless too, because you have so much going for you. Christ will never leave you comfortless, and He will always help you to have courage.





Here's to fearlessness and absolute trust, 

Haley. 

soldier girls

Happy April everyone! I hope you all enjoyed General Conference! If you missed it, you can watch/read/download here! You won't regret it!!

I've been sooo busy with school and am consequently so excited for summer.
And this trip.
And my best friend Sydney is coming with our family for two weeks to California! Yay!
What do you all have planned for the summer??

Hmmm... I'm trying to think of something interesting that has been going on in my life... I pretty much worked and watched Doctor Who all Spring Break. So not much to share there. I took the ACT this morning for the second time.
There's nothing more joyful than a good ol' standardized test!!!

And I'm really into Dancing with the Stars at the moment. Okay sorta into it. I watch most of the episodes. haha.

I got a letter in the mail the other day. It brought serious joy. Turns out it was just from this Radiothon I participated in... but yeah you should all mail me letters because I rather enjoyed finding that little surprise in the mailbox.

And here's my new favorite picture.

So I wanted to share this spectacular music video with y'all.
If you are familiar with T.C. Christensen (think 17 Miracles), he has a new movie coming out soon called Ephraim's Rescue. I'm so excited!


So here's a spectacular music video from it! Go get tissues (you're welcome)!



Here's my favorite line:

"We reached for God from where we stood."

God is closer than you think! And He can be reached by anyone! No matter where you're calling from!

You're never too far away and the Atonement is always accessible to you. Our Savior's grace and mercy extends to all, even you.

Don't you forget it!

Love to you all, have a great Sunday!





P.S. You can find this song on iTunes!! I've been listening nonstop!

a heightened desire to serve

"Only when our testimony transcends what is in our mind and burrows deep into our heart, will our motivation to love and to serve become like unto the Savior's. It is then, and only then, that we become deeply converted disciples of Christ and powered by the Spirit to reach the hearts of our fellow men."
-Russell M. Nelson (Afternoon Session)

I suddenly had the increased desire to do missionary work about a year ago. I say suddenly, but really, that was a step in my conversion. Many, many things, over the course of my whole life, led to my desire to serve others and to share the good news of the gospel.

It's why I started this blog. It was the first thing that popped into my head... An easy way to share my thoughts. Maybe not everyone will read them, but a few will, and if you can change the lives of even just a few... well, you've done your job right.

When I talk to my nonmember friends, it seems that that desire - that unexplainable need to do missionary work (what my friend Sydney would call a pulsing of the heart) - almost explodes inside of me. 

Those people are happy. You can live a happy life without the gospel. But can you live a fulfilled life? (haha... kinda reminds me of that post I did a few days ago... )

The gospel has brought me comfort. 
Enlightenment. 
Understanding.
A true appreciation for sacrifice.
The belief in an Almighty God - One who loves unconditionally and would never forsake.
It's eased my burdens in an unspeakable way.
Taught me to hope.
Taught me to love.
Taught me to trust.
Given me a love for people.
Taught me that there is a balance in all things - a reason for every trial and triumph.
Shown me the beauty of humanity.
The goodness of the human spirit.
Taught me to marvel at God's creations.
Instilled in me the knowledge of who I am and what my Divine Purpose is.
Given me a sense of amazement and awe at what my Savior has accomplished.

The list truly could go on and on.


And if I can help just one person to partake of the glorious freedom and joy that the gospel has to offer... I will be the happiest, most successful person alive.

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
(-Emily Dickinson)


A strong desire to serve God's children came with the desire to share the gospel. The two are inexplicably linked together.

It's why I'm going to Fiji, although I am a strong believer that the most meaningful service you will ever do will be among your own peers.

I am still going to jump at the chance to serve people of another culture, though. The chance to see the world and interact with people that are living in such a different way from me will be an amazing experience.

The desire to serve is a strong one that has also been blooming and blossoming and maturing within me for a long time.

But never before has it been so strong.



The age change for missionaries announced today was maybe one of the biggest answers to prayer that I have ever had.

It was actually an answer to unspoken prayer, because although I have been worrying and wondering about a mission, I'm not sure I ever brought my thoughts to the Lord.
He knows my heart, though.

I'm pretty sure it's the only major announcement that the church has made that I can remember...

(I guess that it depends on what you would consider a major announcement, but I can't remember another that directly impacted me and affects me the way this one does.)



I've sorta briefly described my change of heart toward missionary work and service. For a while now, I have had the strong desire to serve a mission, but I've never totally known if I would.

I mean, you never know what I will be doing by the age of 21. Maybe I will want to get married by then. And I don't feel like putting a family on hold for a mission is a good choice for me to be making...

I wanted to go on a mission so bad, but it was always still kind of a maybe.


Well it is not a maybe anymore.


I freaked out when I heard that announcement, and I have been giddy with excitement all day.

Like every time it crosses my mind, my heart fills with so much joy - I can hardly begin to explain it.


And there is no uncertainty at all - not the slightest of a doubt in my mind - what I will be doing when I turn nineteen.

I am so excited and so grateful that I won't have to wait to leave or wait to make that decision.

One of my sweetest tender mercies.



And I think - because of the sweet miracle that took place for me in the first five minutes - this has been my favorite conference so far. Ever.

And the talks have been great. Have you tried taking notes?

I just thought of something that we read in seminary yesterday... (I took a picture of the following quote with my iPod so I could share it with you guys...)

Brother Brigham took the stand, and he took the Bible, and laid it down, he took the Book of Mormon, and laid it down, and he took the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and laid it down before him, and he said, "There is the written word of God to us, concerning the work of God from the beginning of the world, almost, to our day. And now," said he, "when compared with the [living] oracles, those books are nothing to me; those books do not convey the word of God direct to us now, as do the words of a Prophet or a man bearing the Holy Priesthood in our day and generation. I would rather have the living oracles than all the writing in the books."

This is of course not to say that the scriptures aren't important. The scriptures are the word of God and the prophets that wrote in them were Divinely called and their words apply to us today.

The Book of Mormon has been called the keystone of our religion, the most perfect book that exists today.

But even above those books, are the words of our Prophet and the apostles who are on the earth today.


I pray that each of you will tune in to conference tomorrow and listen to the amazing and essential advice that the Lord's disciples have to offer you. Whether you watch from the seats in the conference center, the pews in your stake center, the couch in your family room, or your spinny-computer chair...

I know that you will feel the Spirit witness to you that the words being said are true... that the amazing speakers you will listen to are truly conveying the Lord's will to you.

Click here to watch.

10:00-12:00 pm and 2:00-4:00 pm MDT.


You guys are awesome.

Happy Conference Weekend.

general conference is for YOU!

I'll tell you... it sounded really hard to me the first time I was challenged in seminary to take notes for all four sessions of general conference...

But I did it and you know what?

I am so passionate about it now that I took notes last conference too... and I wasn't even assigned to.


Really and truly though... in the past, every time I'd watched general conference, it kinda seemed like they were all talking about the same things and all of the talks sorta... blurred together.

But I am still hearing different random quotes and things that either I will recognize from a recent talk, or things that will instantly remind me of a specific talk.

And I seriously remember so many talks and what they were about and who was the speaker.

And I love that. Because before I took notes, I seriously would forget what I heard pretty soon after conference ended.

But not anymore.


General conference talks are scripture. Just like reading Matthew or Mark or the book of Jacob.

If you got the chance to go hear the Savior speak to you from the pulpit, you wouldn't miss it for anything. (At least I'm hoping so!)
You would be there listening and you would do whatever He counseled you to do.

And I'm pretty sure you would remember it for the rest of your life.


Well...

The Lord speaks today. He speaks through the prophets. Revelation and communication with the Divine exists today... just as it did in times of old.

Don't miss the opportunity to hear direct counsel that comes literally straight from the Savior.


I can't even tell you how much it will bless your life if you take notes and don't just brush off conference when it ends.


You will feel the Spirit so much during conference, and it will give you a spiritual high. And spiritual highs are always good.

Oh and one more thing.

Something neat about the talks you will hear are that they are written for us now. In 2012. They aren't words from thousands of years ago. The scriptures written then apply to us now too, but you know, they just aren't as specific to our time.

Read this quote from last October...

"I know our greatest happiness comes as we tune in to the Lord and to those things which bring a lasting reward, rather than mindlessly tuning in to countless hours of status updates, Internet farming, and catapulting angry birds at concrete walls. I urge each of us to take those things which rob us of precious time and determine to be their master, rather than allowing them through their addictive nature to be the master of us."
- Ian S. Ardern

Isn't that awesome? He referenced Angry Birds in his talk. 

(And how did that particular example just pop into my head? Notes! You remember things when you write them down!)

Anyways just a thought. The prophets know today's world. At our last stake conference, one of the members of the presiding bishopric came and spoke to us. And he read scriptures off of his iPad.

Don't just brush off the words these amazing people say.

They apply to you now!


This post ended up way longer than it was going to be. I was seriously going to just share the video and  suggest taking notes.

Hehe.

Have a lovely day and conference weekend!

Dare to Stand... Even If You Stand Alone.

First of all, I thought of this comic when I watched the following video:

LOL... I've been waiting for a video to come out on this talk... yay!  Plus the chief petty officer (or whatever he is) totally cracks me up. 

"May we ever be courageous and prepared to stand for what we believe, and if we must stand alone in the process, may we do so courageously, strengthened by the knowledge that in reality we are never alone when we stand with our Father in Heaven."


I love that talk... it was given last fall. It was actually given during the Priesthood Session, but for some reason I read it after. Click here to read the whole talk.

It is hard to stand alone, or even mostly alone.

It can actually be really hard.

But there is one thing that I know.

Someday not too far in the future, we will be looking back on the decisions we made during this life.

And we don't want to have any regrets.

Because even though things seem like a big deal here, and heaven seems far away, it is not so.

There is a day not too far away, that we will either be rejoicing in the fact that we were loyal and courageous, or in great sorrow because of our sins.

And the things we do now will determine our eternity. 

If you think about the fact that we were created eons ago, and have existed infinitely as intelligences, and have eternity to go,

why would you give that up now... for something so small?

Or maybe it seems big, but in fact won't matter to us in the future.

Don't give in to negative peer pressure...

It's not worth it.

Not even semi-worth it.

Because despite what you might think, you are never alone. You have a Father and a Savior to back you up.

And most likely many people too, even if you don't realize it.

Dare to be a Mormon;

Dare to stand alone.

Dare to have a purpose firm;

Dare to make it known.

A Thing of the Spirit

“Pure religion is a thing of the Spirit and not of the intellect alone."
- Bruce R. McConkie 

     In this book, in the section written by Richard Bushman (a professor at Harvard), he talks about a time when he was being interviewed on the radio. The  conversation ended up being focused on religion, and he was asked, 

"How could an educated, well-informed, modern Mormon accept all the stories that go with Mormon belief?"

Well... what would you say?

Of course... he went on in his essay talking about his belief in the Mormon Church, but I think that the question he was asked is one that we should know how to straight-forward answer. 

     To some people who don't know a lot about our religion, our beliefs may seem a little different. 

     Some people... try to explain everything with science. If they can't have tangible proof of something happening... well, it didn't happen. I happen to know a couple of people that think that way...

Darn skeptical scientists. 

Well... here's an awesome quote from Einstein...

"Every one who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe-a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble."
- Albert Einstein 


Isn't that an awesome quote? And it was said by someone that we consider scientifically/mathematically brilliant. 

     I suppose he got it...

You know... some things can be explained completely with science. I mean, leaves are green because that's the only color in the spectrum that they reflect back... okay, I can believe that. Sounds reasonable to me.

BUT... Everything cannot be perfectly described by science. Our earth... and everything in it... didn't just happen on its own. Life didn't happen on its own... especially intelligent life.

Like what Elder Russell M. Nelson said in the last General Conference...
Talking about our amazing physical bodies, he said,


"Yet some people erroneously think that these marvelous physical attributes happened by chance or resulted from a big bang somewhere. Ask yourself, “Could an explosion in a printing shop produce a dictionary?” The likelihood is most remote. But if so, it could never heal its own torn pages or reproduce its own newer editions!"


(Reminds me of this song)


You know what I think is interesting... some scientists/atheists say that their explanations just make more sense... that they're more practical.


Something cool about our gospel... not only do we have manifestations and believe in God... but all of our Church's teachings make perfect sense. If you think about it, the Gospel really explains everything we need to know... and it explains all of those things perfectly. 


It makes sense. And of course, we have the Spirit telling us that what we believe is true. 


That quote at the very top of this post... is one of my favorite quotes of all time. We just... can't always explain things so that they make sense to other people. We know God exists because we have faith. And after putting that faith to the test, we will find that God really is there. And He loves us.


And the Church is true. 

Did one of my posts leave a lasting impression on you? I'd love to hear about it! Comment below!

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My Conference Highlights [Part Two] - Judging and Sharing the Gospel

     Why am I blogging at this hour? It is TOO LATE for me to be blogging right now... whatever... I am going to die at soccer practice tomorrow... I suppose I will worry about that then. :)
     (Bad idea)

     So. I suppose that I will finish up my General Conference favorites...

-----

A:

     I would first like to talk about something that Elder Quentin L. Cook said in his talk last Saturday afternoon. (full talk here.)

     I loved these two lines...
     "Our great desire is to raise our children in truth and righteousness. One principle that will help us accomplish this is to avoid being overly judgmental about conduct that is foolish or unwise but not sinful."

     That last part that I have bolded really stood out to me.
     Here's why:
I am in ninth grade. I go to a school with seventh, eighth, and ninth graders.
Can I just tell you how incredibly immature some junior high kids can be? It is seriously ridiculous.
    I'm honestly not thinking of certain kids, and there are plenty of kids who are very well-grounded and are realistic about things... but still.

     I hear things all of the time that cause me to wonder, "WHO THE CRAP CARES???"

Haha... well...

     Then I listened to General Conference. I realized that if kids - or adults - care about things that seem really dumb and pointless to me... it really doesn't matter.

     None of it is my business anyway, I mean, I shouldn't be judging them either way, but that talk by Elder Cook made me realize that if something matters to someone else, that's fine, and I shouldn't question it or let it bug me.

Ya know, people all mature at their own rate. Some people may never grow out of the drama that seems so pointless to me right now...
     But... some people will.

     Life is a journey. We should spend our entire earth lives learning and growing. We just all do it differently, and that is perfectly fine.

     If people like to chat about dumb stuff, I'll be okay with that. I will stop judging. They usually aren't even doing anything wrong.

     I suppose that I was the one doing something wrong after all.

-----

B:

     My last thought that I starred in my General Conference notebook was from David F. Evans' talk found here. 

He said:

"The work of naturally and normally sharing the gospel with those we care about and love will be the work and joy of our lives."

Naturally and normally. 

     I totally can relate to this one. 

     I remember in elementary school, around second or third grade, me and some other girls actually bribed a girl with jolly ranchers if she would listen to us tell her about the Church during recess.   

     I mean, that's pretty funny. I kinda laugh about it now. 

     BUT, for some people, even as they get older, this seems to be their method of sharing the gospel. Granted, maybe not with jolly ranchers, but some people are so desperate to share the gospel with their friends, that they end up making it an awkward, forced situation.

     Fast forward. I have several friends now that are not  members of the Church, and I'm fine with that. I really wish that everyone would be eager and ready to hear the gospel right when they meet you, but that's understandably not often the case. 

     There have actually been many days at lunch when our conversations have naturally shifted to religion. That is when you share with them your feelings on the gospel, as long as they are willing to listen. 

     I promise you... so much more will be accomplished if you are not forcing the messages on someone. 

     I think that we all think of converting someone as a cool idea, and we hope that we have the chance to do that someday. If that happens, it will be because they opened their heart and were willing to listen. 

     Do not approach it the wrong way or always pester someone if they don't want to talk about religion. Just be patient, and hopefully they'll come around. 

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.)

Did one of my posts leave a lasting impression on you? I'd love to hear about it! Comment below! 

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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: