choose to choose the right.

 Are you missing out on all the joyous things in life because you just don't know enough about them or where to look for them?

If there's a way to be perfectly happy here on earth, it surely can only be accomplished by living the teachings of the gospel and drawing yourself close to God.

The happiest you will ever be in your life is when you are being aware of and accepting God's will for you.

I wish more people realized this. And there's more to it than going to church on Sunday. It's teaching your children the gospel. It's learning to rely on God. Always. It's making yourself more and more sensitive to feeling the Spirit. It's praying. It's studying. It's bettering yourself.

So if you are attending church each week with a hard heart and you make sure every word spoken goes in one ear and out the other... are you any better off than the man who doesn't even attend?

Or do you go to church, listen intently to each lesson, maybe even teach one, and then you go home and keep on keeping on the way you were before?

You are better than that. Live up to your potential. Look up. Rise up.

Be who God intended you to be.

You know what my pet peeve is? I have nonmember friends who say, "Wait, you're not allowed to do [fill in the blank], right?"
I also hear it on TV... You Mormons aren't allowed to drink coffee, right?

Really? What do they think is going to happen to us if we do drink coffee? It's the same as every religion out there. Do we have standards we are asked to keep? Absolutely. Are we forced to stay away from alcohol and coffee and tattoos? Absolutely not. No matter what is going on in your life, whether you are even a member or not, you will not be asked to leave a Sacrament Meeting... or any church meeting.

And I know many members of this church who may drink coffee or chose not to serve a mission or something like that, but they are still one of the most wise, spiritual people I know.


Nevertheless, I do know this:
Aligning your life with the teachings of the gospel and doing as the Prophet - as God - asks will make you the happiest you could ever truly hope to be.

Not just believing in Him - but following Him - will make you eligible for blessings you never could have imagined. That is your potential. To be good. To be like God.

And that is when happiness becomes a real, tangible thing that will fill you up.

Make no mistake about it, obedience truly is the key to freedom.

Choose to choose the right. Choose to partake of the feast of happiness, peace, and joy that God grants so bountifully.

who are you?

In Nov. 1975 Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone tells this story:

"Many years ago I heard the story of the son of King Louis XVI of France. King Louis had been taken from his throne and imprisoned. His young son, the prince, was taken by those who dethroned the king. They thought that inasmuch as the king’s son was heir to the throne, if they could destroy him morally, he would never realize the great and grand destiny that life had bestowed upon him.

They took him to a community far away, and there they exposed the lad to every filthy and vile thing that life could offer. They exposed him to foods the richness of which would quickly make him a slave to appetite. They used vile language around him constantly. They exposed him to lewd and lusting women. They exposed him to dishonor and distrust. He was surrounded 24 hours a day by everything that could drag the soul of a man as low as one could slip. For over six months he had this treatment—but not once did the young lad buckle under pressure. Finally, after intensive temptation, they questioned him. Why had he not submitted himself to these things—why had he not partaken? These things would provide pleasure, satisfy his lusts, and were desirable; they were all his. The boy said, “I cannot do what you ask for I was born to be a king.”

We are all born to be kings in the kingdom of God. Our Father is a king, and just as the king’s son was exposed to every vile and perverted thing in this life, so you will be exposed to much of the filth and degradation of our generation. But you Aaronic Priesthood bearers and Young Women are also born to be kings and queens, priests and priestesses."

(Click here to read more...)

"Simba, you have forgotten me."

"No, how could I?"

"You have forgotten who you are, and so forgotten me."

"Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the circle of life."

"How can I go back? I'm not who I used to be."

"Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king. Remember who you are."

----------

Do you remember who you are? I guess... I guess I forget sometimes. 

You are the daughter/son of a King. A great, mighty, merciful, and glorious King.

A King who is waiting for you to return to Him, to claim the blessings that are rightfully yours.

You are Cinderella, you are Belle. You are Snow White, Fiona, Rapunzel, and Mia Thermopolis.

You are Prince Eric, Prince Charming, and... and Prince Zuko.

And like the fairy-tale characters above, you have come a long way to be where you are now. 

And you have a long way to go.

But nothing could be more important than the choices you make now.

Your eternity is riding on them. 

I know I have used this analogy before, but imagine a never-ending string of Yogurt Cheerios. (Because they are yummier than normal Cheerios...)

That never-ending strand represents your eternity. And a single Cheerio on that strand represents your earth life. 

The choices you make now, during this minuscule period of time, they affect your eternity. 

The time you spend here is very important. 

(So all you YOLOers should stop YOLOing...!)

D&C 25:10 - And verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better.

That's my very favorite scripture, you know. 

A beautiful and perfect realm awaits you. 

Remember who you are.

it's glorious.

Glorious by Russ Dixon

There are times when you might feel aimless

And can’t see the places where you belong

But you will find that there is a purpose

It’s been there within you all along

And when you’re near it

You can almost hear it

It’s like a symphony just keep listening
And pretty soon you’ll start to figure out your part
Everyone plays a piece and there are melodies
In each one of us, oh, it’s glorious




You will know how to let it ring out

As you discover who you are

Others around you will start to wake up

To the sounds that are in their hearts

It’s so amazing

What we’re all creating

It’s like a symphony just keep listening
And pretty soon you’ll start to figure out your part
Everyone plays a piece and there are melodies
In each one of us, oh, it’s glorious

And as you feel, the notes build, you will see

It’s like a symphony just keep listening
And pretty soon you’ll start to figure out your part
Everyone plays a piece and there are melodies
In each one of us, oh, it’s glorious

Oooooh.... I love this song. I'm obsessed. It's just peaceful and... good. Yeah.

I'm not really full of words right now... so... listen again?

See ya later -
:)

You Matter To Him.

 
   
"And worlds without number have I created..." [Moses 1:33]
   

     It's hard to comprehend the size of the universe.

     It's actually pretty much impossible with our earthly perspective.




"...always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness," King Benjamin said.    [Mosiah 4:11]




     And yet...

The worth of souls is great in the sight of God.

We are God's work and glory. He created the universe for us. For you.


"This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God. While against the backdrop of infinite creation we may appear to be nothing, we have a spark of eternal fire burning within our breast. We have the incomprehensible promise of exaltation—worlds without end—within our grasp. And it is God’s great desire to help us reach it."
-- President Uchtdorf


Never EVER forget that God's love for you is endless.
Flaws and all, He loves you unconditionally.

If bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man is God's work and glory...
Don't think He would leave you in the dark and let you figure out how to make that happen on your own.

 He is with you every step of the way.

As much as you want to make it back to Him...
He wants you to make it back even more.

He is counting on you to try your hardest and to be the absolute best you can be at all times and in all things and in all places.

He has given us agency, trusting that we will not abuse that privilege.

We have all been given the task of bringing souls unto Him.
Surely our God would commission the very best souls for such an important job.

And you are one of those souls.


Trust me, my friends, no matter how small you may sometimes feel... you matter to Him.

P.S. Remember the video clip from Hugo that I embedded in this post? Yeah. I just realized that it sorta correlates with this post that you just read. So yeah. Go watch it now!

The Big Picture... Because Hard Work DOES Pay Off!

Me right now. Sporting my new Coldplay shirt and SOOO happy
because I just finished my last test of the year.

I despise tests.

Well actually, I despise studying.

Which sort of comes with tests...

So I despise tests. By the transitive property.


Now. Is studying something that pays off?

Well, it does if you are wanting to get a good grade.

Which I do want good grades. As a matter of fact, I want excellent grades. I guess that's my motivation to study.

If I want something bad enough, I will work hard until I get it.


I know that I've shared this scripture before in this post, but I want to share it again.

Because it's my very favorite.

D&C 25:10 - And verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better.


You know... our spirits have existed for eons. And even before that, you existed as an intelligence.


You have always existed. 


And you will continue to exist... forever.


And ever. (If that adds emphasis)


So... when looking at millions and billions and trillions and jabrillion-gajillions of years... 


The years that you spend on earth... which are very few...


Seem like nothing.


And in a couple thousand years... probably less... your time on earth will seem like it passed in the blink of an eye.


And a fast blink at that.


So why would you throw eternity away... for something that will pass in the blink of an eye?


It drives me crazy all the time when I see that people don't have the right perspective on life, or that they aren't fully living the Gospel.


You guys... the Gospel is a way of life. It isn't something that you turn on and off. 


It isn't something that you live only on Sundays or in Seminary. 


Your scriptures don't disappear when church ends.


Don't teach a bunch of Primary kids that they should be praying daily... when you aren't. (Well... still teach them that, but you know what I mean, right?)


Fully live the Gospel every day.

Pray several times a day.


Read your scriptures. Study them. (and know the difference between reading and studying)


I mean, I read my scriptures every day, but would probably be lying if I said that I fully devoted my time to studying them daily. I mean, I do sometimes, but not always.


But I should be. I suppose I should work on that a little bit. 




Please please PLEASE do not give up everything in your future for little things now. 


Because even though we live in a beautiful world... there is a better one out there. 




So ask yourself... do I want that world enough to work for it?


I hope you answered yes, and I hope that you will always remember the potential that you have.

Remember what you can become.

Because temporal things don't last... so devote your time to the things that will last.


And always strive to be better.

A Marked Generation

We all know those people around us that just amazing.
They are smart, funny, spiritual, and just all around... good.

And there is no doubt in our minds that they are going straight to the Celestial Kingdom...

And then there's us.

At least that's how we seem to always see it.

We tend to often feel that we are not measuring up, that we're just not good enough.

Well...
There have been people on this earth for thousands of years.
There was Adam, the Ancient of Days.
From him came many, many prophets who preached to millions of people that we read about in the Old Testament.
In the New Testament, We read about Christ being born. He preached healed, and offered himself up for a sacrifice.
There were many, many generations following that.

Read history books. Read about the Indians, the Revolutionary War, Ancient Rome, Chinese history...

There have been a lot of people on this earth.

Billions.

Billions of people have lived and died here over the course of six thousand years, each with their own special mission.

And then you were born.

----------

For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the Second Coming. Every previous gospel dispensation has drifted into apostasy, but ours will not.... God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly. And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God...." Make no mistake about it you are a marked generation.

- Ezra Taft Benson
(read more)

----------

You came here for a reason. You have a mission to complete that no one else can complete for you.

We are the strongest generation... the generation strong enough to defeat Satan.

Strong enough to stand up for what we believe.

Strong enough to make a real difference.

The fact that you live on the earth at this time... makes you amazing.

The Father saw something in you during the pre-existence. He knew you were strong enough.

You were foreordained to be great.

Of course, that means that we have a great responsibility. We can't let our Father down.

We have to work hard to accomplish what we came here to do.

But. I promise.

It will be worth it.

Music, Movies, and a Guest Post

     Visit www.pianomastermind.com sometime tomorrow (Monday) to read a guest post written by yours truly!! 

---------------

And... While you are anxiously waiting for that post (about self-motivation), you can listen to this awesome song that I've been wanting to post on here.




 It's all instrumental... and AWESOME!!

And then watch the following video clip from Hugo. Because that is the coolest movie ever and gives me goosebumps.

And this is the best scene.

It's awesome how many everyday things can be related to some sort of gospel principle.

Click here to view my post about Your Divine Purpose.

---------------

This post was like a 3-in-1.

Sweet.

Between YOU and your GOD...

    So I counted just now... and I have 78 posters/pictures on my wall... I honestly can't cram anything else onto my wall. :) (At least it hides the paint color... I've been wanting to repaint my room for a while now... :))
     Anyways... if you care to play I-Spy, you can find the following poem hanging in my room amidst all of the other stuff. It is perhaps one of the first things that I hung up because it is one of my very favorites:

----------

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;

Forgive them anyway. 

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

Be kind anyway. 

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;

Succeed anyway. 

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;

Be honest and frank anyway. 

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;

Build anyway. 

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;

Be happy anyway. 

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;

Do good anyway. 

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;

Give the world the best you've got anyway. 

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;

It was never between you and them anyway.

[Credited to Mother Teresa, although nobody is positive... there are many speculations as to who first came up with it.]  

---------- 

I think that the following quote kinda goes along those same lines:

"My young friends, be strong. You know what is right, and what is wrong, and no disguise - however appealing - can change that truth. If your so called friends urge you to do anything you know to be wrong, you be the one to make a stand for right, even if you stand alone."
- President Thomas S. Monson

I love the last two lines of that poem... because in the end, it really will be between you and God. Nobody else. And 'final analysis' will come sooner than you might think.

     Imagine a never-ending strand of little tiny seed beads. Our earth life is one of those tiny beads. Do not throw away the rest of the beads - the rest of time itself - because you decided to give in and take foolish advice from people. If you had a wider window - a greater perspective - you would always try to make the best choices you could, because you would better know what you would be sacrificing otherwise.

     The thing is... we do know. It's just tricky to visualize sometimes. BUT... I know that if we try to live life the best we can... and make the choices that would please our Heavenly Father... we will find peace and happiness during and after this life.

Your Divine Purpose

Wow... one of the best MormonMessages I've ever watched...



     If you follow mormon.org on Facebook, then you will know that they asked their followers the other day to share their answers to the following question...


"I am on this earth to..."

They got 645 comments back from people who answered the following:

     Hmmm... I didn't comment, but what would I have said?

I am on this earth... 
To share my talents... to love... to learn and gain experience... to learn to have perfect trust in God... to help others... to make friends... to experience life's little pleasures - like Oreos... to learn to choose the right, so that I can have eternal life... to get married... to be a good example...


     No matter what you feel that your purpose on this earth is... never doubt that you have one.

"My dear friends, you are a royal generation. You were preserved to come to the earth in this time for a special purpose. Not just a few of you, but all of you. There are things for each of you to do that no one else can do as well as you...If you will let Him, I testify that our Father in Heaven will walk with you through the journey of life and inspire you to know you special purpose here."
- H. Burke Peterson


     I hear people say all the time that they have no special talents... they can't play the piano, they can't play a sport really well, they aren't academically brilliant, they aren't excellent bakers... they think of themselves as just... some plain old person... This is not true. FOR ANYONE. 


YOU have a divine purpose on this earth. And YOU have talents.
Maybe you are a good friend... good at making others feel better... a good mom... an example to others... 
Maybe you like complimenting people... maybe you are a good helper... maybe you never doubt the gospel...
Maybe you go to church every week, maybe you don't ever miss a month of paying tithing... maybe you love your family so much... maybe you don't get mad easily... maybe you never swear...


Aren't all of these talents?

I think this video does a brilliant job of reminding people that they have something good to offer the world...
Your job is to figure out what that is for you... and then act. You have incredible potential.
Spend your life doing good... trying to build up those around you, and you can create a legacy... you will leave this world and the people who live in it better than you found it.

And isn't that something that all of us want?

Leave a comment! I want you to answer the question now...

"I am on this earth to __________"

When you're done with that... watch the above video again... I just love it! :)

PS: I learned something new today! If you look to the very right of my site, you will see a vertical, thin black strip. Hover over it and you can view my profile, my labels, my followers... and more!

(I know what you're probably thinking... "I realized that forever ago!"... well I just realized it... so I thought I'd share... Haha!)

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

 Want to read about the layout of my blog? Click here.

Something Sacred For You, Is Sacred For Me.

     I heard a new song on "Soft Sunday Sounds" today. It was the first time they had ever played it, and 

I. Loved. It.

     I decided to write a post based all around that one song, but to my dismay.... it is a pretty new song... I could find no videos on youtube, no mp3s to embed... I couldn't even find lyrics on the internet...

Long story short... I can't actually make that song part of my post.

I did however, find it on iTunes... So I bought it, listened to it ten million times, and wrote down the lyrics. It's not as good as the song, but it's as good as it is going to get...

----------------

Some kids grow up around bibles.

Some grow up with the Quar'an.

Some light candles, and some wear a star, 

But I think we all understand...

We all want to make it to heaven.

And I've got this feeling in me

That we've all got a bit a shot to get there 

If we all act reverently.

Cause something sacred is always sacred, 

Even if it's not sacred for me.

I've got to let you believe what you want to, 

Or I give up that right I can see.

And all I care for and all that's close to my heart, and make me agree...

That something sacred to you, 

Is sacred to me.

I think you know what I'm saying. 

I'm sure you've heard it before.

We can all live in this place if we must stay inside... 

Lock up our doors.

Whether your goal is Nirvana,

Or whether it's someplace above...

In all of the good books we all read, 

We learn that the best way to live is with love.

Cause something sacred is always sacred, 

Even if it's not sacred for me.

I've got to let you believe what you want to, 

Or I give up that right I can see.

And all I care for and all that's close to my heart, and make me agree...

That something sacred to you, 

Is sacred to me.

So I, I'm going to celebrate you.

And I'm going to love how we're different.

Cause you, you've got your own point of view.

And I'm free to have mine.

So... something sacred is always sacred,

Even if it's not sacred for me.

I've got to let you believe what you want to, 

Or I give up that right I can see.

All I care for and all that's close to my heart, and make me agree...

That something sacred to you, 

Is sacred to me.

Something sacred to you... is sacred to me.

Ooooh...

Some kids grow up around bibles.

Some grow up with the Qur'an...

"Something Sacred"

Aaron Edson

-----------------------

      This is pretty different from the messages that I usually share, but I think that this song teaches a FANTASTIC lesson...

     A couple weeks ago, one of my YW leaders taught me a very valuable lesson. She said that if everyone had some sort of religion, worshipped some sort of god, or had a set of morals... the world would be a better place. No matter if that religion is yours or not.

     Of course we know that we have God's full and complete gospel on this earth... that doesn't mean that people of other religions don't believe and practice good things.

     If you have a friend of some other religion, and they just aren't ready to accept a new way of thinking, don't feel like they are in terrible shape or aren't going to heaven. If they worship and love God, they are in better shape than most of the world. Maybe they will accept the gospel at a later date, or maybe they won't accept it until they get to heaven. Either way, give them some credit for the efforts that they are making to live their life in a way that would be pleasing to Him.

     That wasn't a super long thought, but I think that it is important for us all to realize that.

I will keep my eyes out for that song! I will keep checking for videos/mp3s!!! 

Remember, it is on iTunes, so even if you don't want to buy it, you can listen to about 1 1/2 minutes of it as a sample on there...

Living Up to Your Potential

     I found this beautiful song, and just had to share... so I decided to do a post reminding everyone of the potential that they have...



     Wasn't that beautiful? I could feel the Spirit very strongly while I listened to that song. I thought that it went along with this topic, because it reminds me that God is proud of the good choices that me make. Unlike us, He sees the whole picture. He sees us for what we can become.


     Let's recall the stories of Gideon and Samson. (You can read about them in Judges in the Bible.)


Gideon first... In Judges 6, it tells you that the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel, and had for several years. God tells Gideon that he will be the one to defeat the Midianites.

  12- And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

 14- And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

      Let me point out that Gideon was a poor man. When he was young, I'm sure that he and his family never imagined that he would be the one to defeat the Midianites. God had great things planned for him though, and was also waiting to bless him if he would be obedient. 
     So how did Gideon react?

  

15- And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

16- And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.


    Gideon chooses to do what God has commanded him to do. It seems impossible to him at the time, but he has faith and it ends up working out... just the way he was promised it would.

Now Samson.

     This story is probably better known... It starts with an angel of the Lord appearing to Manoah's wife, who was barren, and telling her that she will have a child. 

Judges 13:5- For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

     As a Nazarite, there are certain things that you are not supposed to do. You aren't supposed to cut your hair, for one. One of the other things is that you can't marry out of the covenant.  

     Unfortunately, the first decision that we see him make is to marry out of the covenant. 


14:1- And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

  

2-And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.

  

3- Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.

 
     Anyways, it would take a lot of explaining for you to know the whole story, but the main events are as follows...
- Samson starts hanging out with Delilah (bad), and she cuts his hair during the night.
- Because Samson has broken many commandments, he can no longer live up to his potential. 
- Samson does end up killing many people, including some Philistines, but he also kills himself, which kinda stinks.




-------


     So what is my point in telling you these stories? I want you to look at the difference between these two men. Both are born with incredible potential, and both get the chance to reach that potential. One, however, doesn't recognize the fact that he was born for great things. Thinking that he is smarter than God, he breaks the commandments. Because of this, he was not able to reach his full potential. 


     I want you to know that God sees great things in store for you. Like I said before, He sees you for what you can become. Like Gideon and Samson though, you must keep the commandments and trust in the Lord before you can reach your full potential. He will then reward you with all of the amazing blessings that you have earned. 


     Never forget that God sees you different than the world sees you. He wants so much for you to follow His commandments so that you can live with Him again. He wants to give you blessings. I know that it pleases Him so much when we are worthy enough that he can reward us with these wonderful blessings.