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.

feasting on the scriptures...

Another EFY lesson!!

> Scriptures... involves opening your scriptures and reading from them. Simple as that.
> Story details... the scriptures are history books! They tell about different people at different times and what they did and what they learned.
>Doctrines and principles... we have the scriptures so that we can learn wisdom. Try to identify what the passage of scripture you are reading is trying to teach you.
> Apply... those doctrines and principles applied to the people in the scriptures. How can you apply those principles to your own life?
> Do... as usual, action is required. Make those principles become a part of your life.



As you can see from the awesome bullseye I made above... studying scriptures is like target practice.

Maybe sometimes you will only hit the outer ring. That's better than missing! A lot of people have a hard time even getting that far!

So if you are an outer ring shooter... good job! With practice you will be able to hit the next white one!


Learning to love the scriptures might take a long time. The key is persistence. Maybe for months you will never get farther than the "scriptures" ring. That's cool. Keep moving forward until you hit the "story details" ring. Reading gets much more interesting when you can figure out what is going on!

It could take a really long time before you are fully utilizing your scriptures... but there are tools you can use to make it easier!

Use study helps! Institute books, The Old Testament/New Testament/Book of Mormon (etc.) made Easier, the internet...

There are seriously countless books out there. Just make a trip to Deseret Book or Seagull Book... or browse their websites.


Also do things to make it easier to feel the Spirit while you are studying.


Use M. Russell Ballard's 5 Steps to Improve Study!

- Consistent time and place to study alone
- Make your scriptures yours! Mark them - make notes in the margins!
- Set an amount of time for study rather than a certain number of chapters or pages
- Study topically as well as chronologically
- Take time to ponder, meditate, and pray about what you read.


It helps so much to start your scripture study with a prayer. Think of a question you may have and ask Heavenly Father if He will answer it through your scriptures. After a few days of reading, see if your question has been answered.
Many people say that they don't get many answers from the scriptures... but are they really looking? Did they have a specific question to begin with? It's hard to find the answer to a question you never had.

I know that if you take your questions to the Lord... they will be answered.

The scriptures are amazing! So many people have sacrificed so much so that we could have them. Don't take that for granted!

Make. A. Change.

     You know... people say a lot that how bad you want something determines how hard you will work for it...

And I think that that's true, but I think there is more to it than that...

It's hard to motivate yourself to make a change...

I mean, someone who really wants to lose weight... that doesn't necessarily make it easier for them to go bust their tail at the gym...

Does it?

What I mean is...

It isn't just how bad you want the end result.

That little voice that pops into your head in the morning - that little "do it tomorrow" voice - wins over all too often. And that voice plays a huge role in whether or not your goals are accomplished.

At some point, you just have to dig down deep and find the motivation to get yourself started.



At some point, you have to decide that you are willing to commit to a change.

And to do that... you have to have some serious will-power.


You know what? Start easy.

Want to hear a story?


So a couple years ago... I really wanted to do better about reading my scriptures. I just wasn't consistent, and it was hard for me, because half the time I didn't even understand what I was reading.

So... I prayed for a desire.

Because I wanted to say that I was doing good about reading my scriptures, but I didn't really have the drive to actually pick them up and get started. I always thought, "I'll do it tomorrow".

Ha - and maybe even believed that sometimes.

Anyways... one day, I decided to switch from where I was at in the Book of Mormon to the Doctrine and Covenants.

And I read a section.

And I understood it.

The thing is... the Book of Mormon is easier to understand than the Bible because it was written more recently...

Well... the Doctrine and Covenants is way easier to understand than the Book of Mormon... because it was written even more recently.

The last section was written in 1918.

We read and study books in English class that are older than that.

So... my point is this:

I discovered that the Doctrine and Covenants is really easy to understand and full of amazing scriptures. Like, every other verse could be highlighted.
The Doctrine and Covenants made me love reading my scriptures.

So now I read in all different parts of the scriptures.


And I realized that it doesn't matter if you fully understand what is going on in every verse.


And don't expect to find deep, incredible insight on every chapter. 


Sometimes you just have to try and get the big picture... what that chapter or group of chapters is trying to teach you.


Pray for understanding. 


And sometimes... just accept that you don't understand it. Maybe you will later.


From one little step... reading an easy-to-understand section of the Doctrine and Covenants....


I learned to love the scriptures.


And now... instead of praying for a desire to read... I pray for a desire to study. 
(Because sometimes I still get a little lazy with that.)


But I have upped the ante a little bit. 


And I am proud to say that at least I read daily, and the whole taking-my-time-to-gain-insight thing will become more consistent as I work on it. 



This works with anything requiring motivation. 


Commit to at least taking a step - maybe a small step - but a step.


And go from there. 




Just dig deep, find an inkling of will-power...


And just make it happen. 







P.S. It gets annoying to keep typing Doctrine and Covenants over and over again... It's just such a long name... and "Doctrine" is a tedious word to type!

P.P.S. I had to look up how to spell "ante"... I suppose that isn't something that I write out very often... :)

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.

One Big, Interconnected Tapestry

     People say a lot that our life is like one big tapestry. Although our lives seem to have a lot of loose threads and bumpy places, we are failing to see it from God's perspective. It is He who can see the other side of the tapestry... how all of those threads come together to create a beautiful picture.

     Our lives are divinely woven together. There are no coincidences... not when spiritual matters are involved, at least.

     In seminary we have been learning about the prophets that lived about 600 BC.

     And how their lives were connected.

   In the Old Testament, Jeremiah told the people living in Jerusalem to repent... or their city would be destroyed.

     Can you think of who else did that? Lehi. In the Book of Mormon. At the same time. In the same city.

     Also at the same time... Daniel was interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Babylon.

     Not even fifteen years later... Jerusalem was destroyed. But Lehi was gone by then. He had left to go to the promised land.

     And I think Jeremiah was thrown in a pit...

     And now Ezekiel is the prophet of Babylon... which was ruled by Nebuchadnezzar... and Daniel was his advisor...



     Zedekiah, who becomes king of Jerusalem, watched all of his sons be killed, and then he himself had his eyes put out and was blinded.

     Except one of his sons escaped... and was not killed...

Mulek.

    Sound familiar? You read about him in the Book of Mormon... in the promised land...


I may have made that sound a little confusing...

But my point is that I learned a really cool lesson today... I mean... we study the stories. I'm sure you know Daniel's story and Lehi's story, but it's fun to see exactly how they connect together.

Just another little reminder that when you study the scriptures - not just read them - you will get a lot more out of it!!





P.S. Check out the post I wrote on Piano Mastermind here!!

Appreciating the Scriptures

You can learn more about the coming forth of the King James Bible and William Tyndale from the Fires of Faith documentaries. (If you haven't already watched them...)

I'd be willing to bet that there are many, many, MANY people that hugely take for granted the sacrifices of others.

I'm one of those people.

It happens a lot in life, and in our church.

Things that meant so much to people long - or not so long - ago... Things that they would die for... Mean little or nothing to many people nowadays.

The fact that we have all of this amazing scripture now... that is a miracle. 


Now... I can't always understand the Old Testament. I think that very few people can...

But.

Seminary has taught me so much about understanding the Old Testament... and any scripture for that matter.

First of all, if you need help understanding what's going on... use study helps!!
We have a bunch of Institute study books that I've used when reading the Old Testament. There are all sorts of books that you can buy to help you read the scriptures - no matter where you're reading!


And remember that you will gain a lot from really studying, not just reading the scriptures. Try and pick apart the verses and find the hidden meanings. Sometimes they're not even that hidden, we just tend to skim over them when reading quickly. 


And also, if you start getting frustrated, remember that you don't have to understand every little verse. Hopefully you will spend your whole life studying the scriptures, and you can get something different from them every time. 


If you can't figure it out, move on. Just try to get the big, general picture. 


The scriptures are full of stories. They are history books. If you don't understand every principle that's written, stop and figure out what's going on, what people are involved, and what's the general lesson to be learned.


And if you are still having a hard time getting yourself to read the scriptures... here's my tip.


Start with the Doctrine and Covenants. Because it was written more recently, it's easier to understand, and is filled with amazing and beautiful scriptures.


So here's to not taking sacrifices for granted. 


Learn to appreciate the scriptures. They really will add more meaning to your life.