Day 14.

2 weeks down, 50 to go!

Sometimes I hear people doubt the love God has for us. Why do disasters happen? Why do good people die young? Why does any bad happen? Have you considered that there is opposition in all things. Where there is good there is evil. Where there is light, there is darkness. Where there is God, there is the devil. It's not that God doesn't love because I assure you He does, it's that the devil exists. But that's not my focus today. Today I'm focusing on God's love for us. How do we know how much God loves us? Well for one, it says and shows it over and over in the Scriptures. Second, just look at us! Our body structure, our personalities, our uniqueness. There are over 6 billion people on this earth just today, there were way more before our existence and there will be way more after our existence. To say that isn't amazing is an awful thing. For God to make every single person different is hard to imagine! God doesn't just set someone to do His job either, no, He does it himself, crafting us from the very dirt of creation, forming each part of us, making us who we are. You can't say that isn't amazing! He didn't just form our outer shells, and personalities however, He designed our body system down to our teeny, tiny cells! He designed even our tiny, tiny, microscopic, articulate cells. If that doesn't tell you God loves us, I don't know what world you live in. Take, for example, an adhesion molecule in our body. The name is Laminin. It's designed to adhere different important things in our body. Without this molecule, we would literally fall apart. I will post the picture of it at the end of my message and I want you to take a good look at it and think about it and marvel at it's incredible structure! Our body NEEDS this molecule to function. It's a very important molecule to say the least. Finally, the third thing that tells us God loves us is Jesus. God gave us Jesus, his ONLY, BEGOTTEN son to die for our sins! He wanted us, even though our earth parents made a mistake in initiating the knowledge of good and evil, to be able to wash away our sins by repenting and "starting over". God didn't have to do this and neither did Jesus but because they loved us, it was necessary. These are only the very few things out of a ginormous list of the things Heavenly Father does for us! Isn't He amazing??? I think He is and I also know that He loves us very much and I hope you all know that as well!

" He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he lovet the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation."

I know that God loves us! I know that He sent His son to die for our sins. I KNOW that this church is the TRUE church of Jesus Christ!

Laminin. Adhesion Molecule in our bodies. Check it out--

I say all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Day 13.

Here is a talk given by Thomas S. Monson, our current living prophet. We have a lot to learn from him. He is a very wise man and from this talk in 2007, I believe he says it all. 

Three Goals to Guide You

"Thomas S. Monson
First Counselor in the First Presidency

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Your influence ranges far beyond yourself and your home and touches others all around the globe.

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This evening our souls have reached toward heaven. We have been blessed with beautiful music and inspired messages. The Spirit of the Lord is here.

Sisters Julie Beck, Silvia Allred, Barbara Thompson—thank heaven for your dear mothers and fathers, your teachers, your youth leaders, and others who recognized in you your potential.

To paraphrase a thought:

You never know what a girl is worth,

You’ll have to wait and see;

But every woman in a noble place,

A girl once used to be. ¹

It is a great privilege for me to be with you. I recognize that beyond you who are gathered in the Conference Center, there are many thousands watching and listening to the proceedings by way of satellite transmission.

As I speak to you, I realize that as a man I am in the minority and must be cautious in my comments. I’m reminded of the man who walked into a bookstore and asked the clerk—a woman—for help: “Have you got a book titled Man, the Master of Women?” The clerk looked him straight in the eye and said sarcastically, “Try the fiction section!”

I assure you tonight that I honor you, the women of the Church, and am well aware, to quote William R. Wallace, that “the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” ²

In 1901 President Lorenzo Snow said: “The members of the Relief Society have … ministered to those in affliction, they have thrown their arms of love around the fatherless and the widows, and they have kept themselves unspotted from the world. I can testify that there are no purer and more God-fearing women in the world than are to be found within the ranks of the Relief Society.” ³

As in President Snow’s time, there are, here and now, visits to be made, greetings to be shared, and hungry souls to be fed. As I contemplate the Relief Society of today, humbled by my privilege to speak to you, I turn to our Heavenly Father for His divine guidance.

In this spirit, I have felt to provide each member of the Relief Society throughout the world three goals to meet:

1. 1. Study diligently.
   
2. 2. Pray earnestly.
   
3. 3. Serve willingly.
   

Let us consider each of these goals. First, study diligently. The Savior of the world instructed: “Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” ⁴ He added: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” ⁵

A study of the scriptures will help our testimonies and the testimonies of our family members. Our children today are growing up surrounded by voices urging them to abandon that which is right and to pursue, instead, the pleasures of the world. Unless they have a firm foundation in the gospel of Jesus Christ, a testimony of the truth, and a determination to live righteously, they are susceptible to these influences. It is our responsibility to fortify and protect them.

To an alarming extent, our children today are being educated by the media, including the Internet. In the United States, it is reported that the average child watches approximately four hours of television daily, much of the programming being filled with violence, alcohol and drug use, and sexual content. Watching movies and playing video games is in addition to the four hours. ⁶ And the statistics are much the same for other developed countries. The messages portrayed on television, in movies, and in other media are very often in direct opposition to that which we want our children to embrace and hold dear. It is our responsibility not only to teach them to be sound in spirit and doctrine but also to help them stay that way, regardless of the outside forces they may encounter. This will require much time and effort on our part—and in order to help others, we ourselves need the spiritual and moral courage to withstand the evil we see on every side.

We live in the time spoken of in 2 Nephi, chapter 9:

“O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.

“But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.” ⁷

Required is the courage to hold fast to our standards despite the derision of the world. Said President J. Reuben Clark Jr., for many years a member of the First Presidency: “Not unknown are cases where [those] of presumed faith … have felt that, since by affirming their full faith they might call down upon themselves the ridicule of their unbelieving colleagues, they must either modify or explain away their faith or destructively dilute it, or even pretend to cast it away. Such are hypocrites.” ⁸

There comes to mind the powerful verses found in 2 Timothy, in the New Testament, chapter 1, verses 7 and 8:

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.”

Beyond our study of spiritual matters, secular learning is also essential. Often the future is unknown; therefore, it behooves us to prepare for uncertainties. Statistics reveal that at some time, because of the illness or death of a husband or because of economic necessity, you may find yourself in the role of financial provider. Some of you already occupy that role. I urge you to pursue your education—if you are not already doing so or have not done so—that you might be prepared to provide if circumstances necessitate such.

Your talents will expand as you study and learn. You will be able to better assist your families in their learning, and you will have peace of mind in knowing that you have prepared yourself for the eventualities that you may encounter in life.

I reiterate: Study diligently.

The second goal I wish to mention: Pray earnestly. The Lord directed, “Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing.” ⁹

Perhaps there has never been a time when we had greater need to pray and to teach our family members to pray. Prayer is a defense against temptation. It is through earnest and heartfelt prayer that we can receive the needed blessings and the support required to make our way in this sometimes difficult and challenging journey we call mortality.

We can teach the importance of prayer to our children and grandchildren both by word and by example. I share with you a lesson in teaching by example as described in a mother’s letter to me relating to prayer. “Dear President Monson: Sometimes I wonder if I make a difference in my children’s lives. Especially as a single mother working two jobs to make ends meet, I sometimes come home to confusion, but I never give up hope.”

Her letter continues as she describes how she and her children were watching general conference, where I was speaking about prayer. Her son made the comment, “Mother, you’ve already taught us that.” She asked, “What do you mean?” Her son replied, “Well, you’ve taught us to pray and showed us how, but the other night I came to your room to ask something and found you on your knees praying to Heavenly Father. If He’s important to you, He’ll be important to me.” The letter concluded, “I guess you never know what kind of influence you’ll be until a child observes you doing yourself what you have tried to teach him to do.”

Some years ago, just before leaving Salt Lake to attend the annual meetings of Boy Scouts of America in Atlanta, Georgia, I decided to take with me enough copies of the New Era so that I might share with Scouting officials this excellent publication. When I arrived at the hotel in Atlanta, I opened the package of magazines. I found that my secretary, for no accountable reason, had put in the package two extra copies of the June issue, an issue that featured temple marriage. I left the two copies in the hotel room and, as planned, distributed the other copies.

On the final day of meetings, I had no desire to attend the scheduled luncheon but felt compelled to return to my room. The telephone was ringing as I entered. The caller was a member of the Church who had heard I was in Atlanta. She introduced herself and asked if I could provide a blessing for her 10-year-old daughter. I agreed readily, and she indicated that she and her husband, their daughter, and their son would come immediately to my hotel room. As I waited, I prayed for help. The applause of the convention was replaced by the feelings of peace which accompanied prayer.

Then came the knock at the door and the privilege which was mine to meet a choice family. The 10-year-old daughter walked with the aid of crutches. Cancer had required the amputation of her left leg; however, her countenance was radiant, her trust in God unwavering. A blessing was provided. Mother and son knelt by the side of the bed while the father and I placed our hands on the tiny daughter. We were directed by the Spirit of God. We were humbled by its power.

I felt the tears course down my cheeks and tumble upon my hands as they rested on the head of that beautiful child of God. I spoke of eternal ordinances and family exaltation. The Lord prompted me to urge this family to enter the holy temple of God. At the conclusion of the blessing, I learned that such a temple visit was planned. Questions pertaining to the temple were asked. I heard no heavenly voice, nor did I see a vision. Yet there came clearly into my mind the words, “Refer to the New Era.” I looked toward the dresser, and there were the two extra copies of the temple issue of the New Era. One copy was given to the daughter and the other to her parents. We reviewed them together.

The family said farewell, and once again the room was still. A prayer of gratitude came easily and, once more, the resolve to ever provide a place for prayer.

My dear sisters, do not pray for tasks equal to your abilities, but pray for abilities equal to your tasks. Then the performance of your tasks will be no miracle, but you will be the miracle.

Pray earnestly.

Finally, serve willingly. You are a mighty force for good, one of the most powerful in the entire world. Your influence ranges far beyond yourself and your home and touches others all around the globe. You have reached out to your brothers and sisters across streets, across cities, across nations, across continents, across oceans. You personify the Relief Society motto: “Charity never faileth.”

You are, of course, surrounded by opportunities for service. No doubt at times you recognize so many such opportunities that you may feel somewhat overwhelmed. Where do you begin? How can you do it all? How do you choose, from all the needs you observe, where and how to serve?

Often small acts of service are all that is required to lift and bless another: a question concerning a person’s family, quick words of encouragement, a sincere compliment, a small note of thanks, a brief telephone call. If we are observant and aware, and if we act on the promptings which come to us, we can accomplish much good. Sometimes, of course, more is needed.

I learned recently of loving service given to a mother when her children were very young. Frequently she would be up in the middle of the night tending to the needs of her little ones, as mothers do. Often her friend and neighbor across the street would come over the next day and say, “I saw your lights on in the middle of the night and know you were up with the children. I’m going to take them to my house for a couple of hours while you take a nap.” Said this grateful mother: “I was so thankful for her welcome offer, it wasn’t until this had happened many times that I realized if she had seen my lights on in the middle of the night, she was up with one of her children as well and needed a nap just as much as I did. She taught me a great lesson, and I’ve since tried to be as observant as she was in looking for opportunities to serve others.”

Countless are the acts of service provided by the vast army of Relief Society visiting teachers. A few years ago I heard of two of them who aided a grieving widow, Angela, the granddaughter of a cousin of mine. Angela’s husband and a friend of his had gone snowmobiling and had become victims of suffocation through a snowslide. Each of them left a pregnant wife—in Angela’s case, their first child, and in the other case, a wife not only expecting a child but also the mother of a toddler. In the funeral held for Angela’s husband, the bishop reported that upon hearing of the tragic accident, he had gone immediately to Angela’s home. Almost as soon as he arrived, the doorbell sounded. The door was opened, and there stood Angela’s two visiting teachers. The bishop said he watched as they so sincerely expressed to Angela their love and compassion. The three women cried together, and it was apparent that these two fine visiting teachers cared deeply about Angela. As perhaps only women can, they gently indicated—without being asked—exactly what help they would be providing. That they would be close by as long as Angela needed them was obvious. The bishop expressed his deep gratitude in knowing they would be a real source of comfort to her in the days ahead.

Such acts of love and compassion are repeated again and again by the wonderful visiting teachers of this Church—not always in such dramatic situations but just as genuinely, nevertheless.

I extol you who, with loving care and compassionate concern, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and house the homeless. He who notes the sparrow’s fall will not be unmindful of such service. The desire to lift, the willingness to help, and the graciousness to give come from a heart filled with love. Serve willingly.

Our beloved prophet, even President Gordon B. Hinckley, said of you, “God planted within women something divine that expresses itself in quiet strength, in refinement, in peace, in goodness, in virtue, in truth, in love.” ¹⁰

My dear sisters, may our Heavenly Father bless each of you, married or single, in your homes, in your families, in your very lives—that you may merit the glorious salutation of the Savior of the World: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” ¹¹ I pray, as I bless you and also the dear wife of James E. Faust, his beloved Ruth, who is here tonight on the front row, and their family, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

More talks can be found on LDS.org or check out Mormon.org for more information about the church! 

Day 12.

There is opposition in all things. I know this to be true. When I joined the church, when I began reading through the Book of Mormon, when I started meeting on a regular basis with the missionaries, when I began teaching my friends, and when I made this decision to go on a mission... There is opposition in all things. Opposition is tough to break through. Whether opposition takes on the forms of rejection by friends, inability to make sense of what you're struggling through, doubt, being set apart by your friends, having them talk behind your back, or have those you love unable to give you the loving support you need, all these things are conducted by the devil. He wants to get under our skin and ruin what hope and strength and faith we have in the Lord. What do we do? It's hard to grasp sometimes but standing firm in our faith and praying to God, sometimes, is all we can do! I may be struggling now, battling in my head, and feeling hopeless but it's like I said about the Liahona, the second we take our eyes off of God and succomb to the devil's antics is when we lose our faith thus losing our direction. I'm going to make this blog short and personal to what I'm feeling. Though I am struggling right now, I have not taken my eyes off of God. I know that He is listening to my cries and that He truly does love me. He is wrapping His arms around me in comfort and I know I will make it through the devils obstacles. The devil has NOTHING on my faith in Heavenly Father. He can try to penitrate my love and faith in God but in the end I will step all over his face before he can touch a single hair on my body. I will stand firm. 

"Now this was a great trial to those that did stand fast in the faith; nevertheless, they were steadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments of God, and they bore with patience the persecution which was heaped upon them"             Alma 1:25

I say all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Day 11.

I guess you could say I took today as my own P-day! After all the merriment and excitment of Christmas, I decided I needed a huge nap! and a huge nap I had! What a blessing!
    Today I think I will talk to you about something in the Book of Mormon that is very much a huge part of my life. The Liahona!
    What's the Liahona? the Liahona is a brass ball that operated as a type of compass with two spindles. One of the spindles was said to point the direction Lehi and his party should travel after their escape from Jerusalem. The Book of Mormon states that the Liahona also contained periodic written instructions from God. The Liahona works “according to the faith and diligence” with which they heeded its direction, and ceased functioning at times when the members of the party demonstrated a loss of faith in God's commandments, notably when Nephi's brothers rebelled against Lehi during their ocean crossing. 
    The Liahona is a symbol to me to pursue God's word and do His works which He commands me! The Liahona only worked when the user was diligent in his faith and followed the commandments of God. In  1 Nephi, we hear about the journey of Lehi and his family to the Americas and how Laman and Lemuel had bound Nephi and when they tried to use the Liahona to guide the ships themselves, it didn't work. Laman and Lemuel have in the past doubted God and they tease and beat up Nephi for having faith but Nephi never faulters in his faith but he stands firm in the gospel. As Laman and Lemuel are trying to guide the ship, the Liahona stops working. They didn't have faith like Nephi. They are lost in the sea for the space of 4 days until a big storm comes along threatening to take all of their lives. Lehi and his ENTIRE family was on this ship which included his sons wives and children as well, so this would be a considerable loss if the storm swallowed the ship. Quickly, Laman and Lemuel loose the bands which bind Nephi and without even thinking, Nephi grabs the Liahona immediately. It's cool to think about because he doesn't scold or beat up his brothers for being stupid but he grabs the Liahona and prays! and the ship is guided back on track. Cool, huh?
    In my life, the Liahona guides me. Through the scriptures, diligent prayer and following the commandments, Heavenly Father becomes my compass and guides me where I need to go, where I can get the most loving help and He even writes things on the Liahona specific to my needs. The second I doubt God and turn away from His word and rely on just myself, I find myself in a dark storm, threatening to swallow me up. It is important that we keep our eyes set on God, that we read our scriptures, follow His commandments, and THANK him daily. He is a merciful, loving God who deserves our thanks and praise.
I love my Heavenly Father. I am thankful for His hand in my life, for His words and for His commandments. I KNOW this church is TRUE and I know my Heavenly Father loves me and all His Children!
I say all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Day 10.

Merry, Merry, Merrrrrry Christmas!

Did you get what you asked for? Eat until your pants button popped? Watch the 24 hour marathon of Christmas Story on TBS? Enjoy the company of your family and friends?
I know I did!
Not only did I pretty much collect a year's supply of shampoo, hair product and makeup from my loved ones (which I cleverly put on everybody's list so I would get duplicates!) But I also ate WAY too much food! Most definitely watched the 24 hour marathon of Christmas Story on TBS. Most of all, and my favorite activity of any holiday or ever, really, was getting together with friends and family and laugh and share stories. 
Do you ever think that sometimes we take our family for granted? I do. I think we get so used to having them around that we don't think it's all too special to get together with them. I love all of my family members SO MUCH! but there is one family member I have come to appreciate lately. My Brother. My brother and I have never really had a close relationship growing up, probably because we used to beat the snot out of each other but recently he's been experiencing many wonderful changes. He and I never really got along as children. He's 4 years older than me and though we are close in age, the difference was enough that he wanted nothing to do with me when he was with his friends. We were absolutely not good at sharing, ever! As time when on and he grew up and spent more time away from home, he found himself in the awful habit of drugs. He got addicted to smoking and doing drugs so much to the point where I couldn't even talk to him. He was in and out of quitting and then not quitting and then quitting again. I wasn't sure what I could rely on and I prayed immensly for him. But as time went on, he grew older, and he finally quit EVERYTHING. Praise the Lord, I don't think Heavenly Father ever left his side. He's going to school now, bought a house, and is getting married in a year. I'm so proud of my brother! I love him so very much. There are many things I have learned from my brother. First, no matter what, even when you hit rock bottom, there's always a way to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and move on. Heavenly Father has blessed him so much and in turn has blessed me as well. He has been blessed with a beautiful woman who loves him and brings out the very best in him. She pushes him to do the things that are great for him. Second, I have learned that even in the worst times, there's always a way to make someone smile. My brother has the best humor of anyone I know (I taught him well, I know. Just kidding!) No matter how hard a situation got, I could always count on him to make a joke or make me laugh. Finally I learned, if you want something so bad you work hard for it! The process may be difficult and it may not be fun but working hard for it, never quitting and forcing yourself to be happy about it will bless you in the end.
Heavenly Father has worked through him so much! I hope that I am able to reflect my gratitude to Heavenly Father and love my brother! God gave me the greatest brother. I am SOOOOO grateful for every family member I have! I'm sure I'll talk about pretty much all of them by the end of this blog. I do have like 340 days left, haha. 
I know that Heavenly Father loves ALL of His children! I know that He is with each and every one of us and I know He takes care of us. He will never leave us. I know that He is merciful and wonderful. I love Him and I hope you do too!

I say all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Day 9.

Merry Christmas Eve Everyone!!
 What's your favorite thing about Christmas? Is it the shopping? The snow (or lack there of this year)? Getting together with family (my personal favorite)? Maybe all the parties? Or is it the gifts? I know the gifts is a popular answer with children but as adults have we thought about our gifts we've been given? When I use gifts I don't mean the boxes wrapped in pretty paper and bows, I mean the gifts given to us by Heavenly Father. Some of us have the gift to make people feel good, some have a gift to sing, or teach, or be a great leader. What gift do you possess? While reading the Book of Mormon, I've read over and over about being instruments for God. When you think instruments what comes to mind? I think of tools. This is what Heavenly Father means. He wants us to be tools for him. He is the crafter trying to use us, the tools, to craft a better world or to craft a better after life for somebody on the earth. How are we able to be used as tools? For one, we listen to Heavenly Father. In experience, it's been hard sometimes to listen to Him because I knew that something He wanted me to do was not something I wanted to do or it was scary or hard but He knows what the outcome is going to be and we have to place our trust in Him. That's the second thing, we need to TRUST Heavenly Father. He knows all! He knows what you're going to do next and He has nothing but the best intentions for you. I remember this question my mother used to ask when I was hesitant about trusting in Heavenly Father, she asked, "Would you rather walk alone in the light, or be guided in the darkness?" I know I'd rather have Heavenly Father guide me through the dark any day! Next, you need to get out there and use your gifts! Use your gift for singing, your gift to teach, your gift to dance, whatever it may be, USE THEM! God gives us these gifts for a reason, to use us as His tools or instrumentsI. Unsure of what your gifts are? Ask Heavenly Father. I've said it before and I'll say it over and over again, God listens. He always does! Finally, give thanks to God! He's given you your health, the air you breathe, the family and friends you have and He blesses each and every one of us everyday! The least you could do is thank Him.
I'm thankful for my gifts, I'm thankful for the things I have been blessed with! I love Heavenly Father and I KNOW that the church and the scriptures are TRUE! And I am so proud to be an instrument of God!

Have a very Merry Christmas and always remember to READ YOUR SCRIPTURES!

I say all these things in the name of Jesus Christ!

Day 8.

Everyone has that one person in their life that maybe bullied them in high school, hurt them in some way, broke their heart, or made them feel foolish. No matter what the case is, they have some sort of negative feeling towards that person. I had my heart broken once. I don't talk about it often and when I do, I usually joke about it. He's the only person that I've ever let repeatedly bug me over a large amount of time. I've struggled with forgiving him and accepting that there was nothing I could do to change the situation. As I was reading the Book of Mormon today and thinking of this situation, I came across this verse. Mosiah 26:31 says, "And ye shall also forgive one another your trespasses; for verily I say unto you, he that forgiveth not his neighbor’s trespasses when he says that he repents, the same hath brought himself under condemnation." I've come to realize that I have to freely forgive him. Since I have forgiven him, I have seen a change within myself. I don't hold onto the negative feelings that I had. I am able to live my life without a huge cloud hanging over me saying, "Hey! Remember when that guy broke your heart, yeah, you should still feel mad and sad about that!" 
It's tough when there is someone in your life that always knows how to get under your skin. What's the solution? Well, obviously, ALWAYS READ YOUR SCRIPTURES! You have no idea how many answers you can get from the scriptures! When I have something on my heart, I ask Heavenly Father to help me out. If He doesn't answer me one way, He answers me in scriptures. Also, lift up a prayer for this person in your life. You never know what this person is going through, though it doesn't excuse what they have maybe done to you but lift them up and ask God to soften their heart or to heal them of whatever may be getting them down. Maybe even just ask Heavenly Father to be with them. I've done that countless numbers of times. Finally, FORGIVE THEM! Sometimes that's all someone needs, forgiveness, whether an apology has come about or not. If forgiveness is hard to give, ask Heavenly Father. He will ALWAYS be there to hear your cries. He listens. I promise, He does.
I say all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Day 7.

"He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death."

What does the verse mean to you? 
One thing that comes to my mind is baptism. Having almost read to the end of Mosiah, one chapter that stood out to me was Chapter 18. Baptism is a convenant with the Father. Through this covenant you take upon the name of Jesus Christ and promise to keep his commandments and serve him. Baptism is also a huge blessing! Concerning myself, I was converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in August of 2010. After I had met with the missionaries for my first time I knew there was something pulling at my heart. I had a desire to learn, a curious mind, and I wanted to know more about this church. When I was baptised, I could feel a change within myself. I loved easier, I helped people more and I desired to know God more. Learning doesn't stop after baptism. Learning begins at baptism, at least for me. If it weren't for the church, in the past year and a half I have been a member, I couldn't have gotten through some of the things I have. In my last blog I talked about friendship and how Heavenly Father brings people to us that we need. I was brought to this church for a reason. The people of the church are amazing and Heavenly Father works so much through them! In the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 18:9 says, "Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—".
Truly I have been blessed by this church. While I am on my mission, I am excited to be able to tell people about Christ and to bring people to the church! I love this church, I love the people of this church. I love Heavenly Father and I love His plan for me! I know He has a plan for me and I am truly excited to find out what that is!
I say all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Day 6.

Last night, due to an internet outage, I was not able to blog. I've been thinking a lot about frienship lately. Since coming home for Christmas break from college, I've been meeting with people I haven't seen in a long while. It's cool to see who Heavenly Father brings into your life and I've been thinking back to the friends I had, the friends I have, how I met them and how they've impacted me. Though I'm not friends with some of the people today that I was even a couple years ago, I know they came into my life for a reason, whether to help me when I needed it, consoled me when I was sad, brought me to something, pushed me along in my journey or whatever it may be. I feel so grateful to God for this. Doctrine and Covenants 88:133 says, " Art thou a brother or brethren? I salute you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in token or remembrance of the everlasting covenant, in which covenant I receive you to fellowship, in a determination that is fixed, immovable, and unchangeable, to be your friend and brother through the grace of God in the bonds of love, to walk in all the commandments of God blameless, in thanksgiving, forever and ever. Amen." I am always thankful for the people God has put in my life. To think that every one has a purpose is amazing. To think that I have a purpose in somebody's life is way cool! To all my friends who may be reading this, I love you to bits and am so thankful that Heavenly Father put you in my life! You have no idea how much each and every one of you has helped me and I can't imagine how much better my life could get with the friends and family with me! I sincerely Thank You. I know this church is true. I know that Heavenly Father has a purpose for each and every one of us! I love this church, it makes me so happy and feel so grateful for the church! Heavenly Father is amazing, isn't He?
I say all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Day 5.

For some reason today I was in such a baking mood that I made over 4 dozen cookies and I have still yet to make others. It's amazing the mood Christmas puts us in. We're giving, willing to do things for others, most of us think of others before we think of ourselves, to make cookies for others and we all try to be kinder to each other. Christ really is the driving force of bringing us together this time of the year but why should  it only happen this time of the year? Christ should drive us together every time of the year! Christ, in my life, is a huge part of my decisions, my progress, my whole being. Is what I'm doing going to glorify God or His church? I find myself asking all the time. Will people look at me as the example of the church? Are people waiting for me to mess up? Instead of putting on a Christian-like act, why not be the Christian? In my decision making to become a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I've come to ask the questions am I worthy? Am I doing the best I can to prove that I am worthy? What makes us worthy? Over and over in my scriptures I have read the phrase, "Keep my Commandments". The commandments are a very large part of what makes us worthy. Do we follow the commandments? We're all human though, we are bound to mess up and sin but do we honestly and sincerely repent when we've found that we have sinned? This is all part of worthiness. I'm sure there is much more to being worthy that I am forgetting or not mentioning. Ask yourselves these questions and if you yourself has a question Mormon.org is the place to find the answers.

Today I had the chance to meet up with some friends and a couple missionaries from my church. We had a wonderful time hanging out in a launromat.. Yes, a laundromat. No matter where we are however, we always manage to have a good time! Joking around, the missionaries gave me my first "task" as a future missionary. They handed me a Book of Mormon with their card in it and tasked me to give it to someone I didn't know. I chickened out tonight but it led me to think about how it would be out in the mission field and I decided to make this a real task. I have one week to give out my Book of Mormon to someone I don't know. The missionaries gave me a few pointers to getting started and have been giving me great advice in general! As far as my current homework assignment goes, I have reached Mosiah and am currently halfway through it. I hope to finish it and get part way through Alma tomorrow. I have lots of reading to do before new years to get on my way to finishing the Book of Mormon! I hope and pray I can finish it!

I hope you were able to keep up with my ever busy mind in this blog today.

Day 4.

Day 4 and I'm excited as ever for a mission that I won't be going on for a YEAR. This preparation time is a blessing, however. I am challenging myself, in the next year, to finish reading what I can of my scriptures and blog at the end of the day about that (as you may or may not have read in the past few blogs). Today I was pretty lazy in that I did not read my scriptures until tonight. I left off at the beginning of Omni. I read through Omni and landed myself in Mosiah Chapter 7. As I pray before every time I read scripture, I ask that Heavenly Father stand out what He wants me to read and that He speak to me through my scriptures. Tonight I found a couple verses that particularly caught my eye in the Words of Mormon, this is verse 7 and 8, "And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the working of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things, which are to come; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to His will. And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people."
        Not only concerning my mission, but concerning my entire life, Heavenly Father knows what is to come, I do not but one thing I do know is that He will always be with me, guiding me and directing me to do the things which shall glorify Him. Heavenly Father is so amazing! As I read through the scriptures I notice the phrase "keep my commandments" in everything that I read. Heavenly Father wants us to keep His commandments, He wants to bless us in all that we do. Following the commandments can be very tough but this I say to you; we need to have faith. We need to have faith that Heavenly Father WILL provide, that Heavenly Father does hear our prayers and we need to have faith that He will answer. Without faith, I cannot tell you where I would be right now. 
I love my Heavenly Father, I love His faith in me and I have true faith in Him. I know that the scriptures are true, I know that they are Heavenly Father's words and I know that He loves us! 
I say all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Day 3.

T.G.I.S. -- Thank God it's Sunday! Sunday, I believe, is one of the few days that I actually get to be in God's glory and presence all day long. It's a shame that I don't make it that way every day. In this new journey of mine leading up to my mission, I have challenged myself in several ways, one way being that I make God a part of my day, every day. 
My mom is one person in my life that I absolutely adore with every part of me. She has been my rock, she has been my crying shoulder, she has been everything to me. Recently she's been getting pretty sick. She's visited the ER 3 times in the past 2 months. She's been retired for almost a year now and she tries to do more than she can do sometimes. Today, we visited the hospital again, this time going by ambulance. She's been having these extremely sharp pains in her lower back. I pray for her so much in these times. If there's one thing I've learned in the 20 years I've been on this earth, it's that there is no earthly love like a mother's love. I want to keep my mama on the earth as long as Heavenly Father will allow. During our time in the ER waiting on tests, nurses and doctors I read through Jacob, Enos and Jerom. 
           Jacob 5 was one of the toughest chapters for me to read. I am not overly great at interpreting scripture and Jacob 5 was a huge obstacle. There were a few verses that I had highlighted throughout the chapter and I can only best sum up what the chapter means to me by saying that it means that the Lord is the Lord of our vineyard, or the earth and we are his servants. Heavenly Father does not toss away the "trees" that are about to waste away but yet He tends to them and uses us to help Him. These trees are the people of the earth and we, as the followers of Christ, are his servants. When He uses us to build up the trees that are about to waste away, the trees blossom and fruit and they fruit the most wonderful fruit. The Lord of the vineyard does not overlook even the poorest looking tree, yet he uses the branches of the other beautifully blossoming trees and uses them to build up the branches of the trees that are suffering. This to me is like mission work. There was once a pair of missionaries that visited me as a non-member. The Lord of the vineyard saw me as a broken, rotting tree. He took the branches of these missionaries and used them to build me up, to make me fruitful and in turn I was baptised into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There were then another set of missionaries that fertilized my soil and nurished my growing branches by teaching me lessons and coming to visit with me, they helped my branches grow long. Then there were finally another pair of missionaries that tended to my growing branches and that will continue to tend to them so that the Lord of the vineyard can trim them off to use for another broken down tree as I go on my mission. 
        Isn't scripture great? I think the greatest part of scripture is that we can all read the same chapter and interpret it in the way that we need it. Heavenly Father is truly amazing and He never ceases to shock me!
           I know that the scriptures are true! I know that everything in the Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price is true. I know that Heavenly Father's words are in these books and I love my scriptures! 
I say all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
 

Day 2.

After last night, I have been praying and praying about my decision. I'm very nervous in a good way and I know that no matter what, Heavenly Father will answer me in the way I need to be answered and if I have faith He will bless me. A tough part about my decision is being able to tell my parents. Being the only member in my family, I will have to explain a mission and my decision to go on one. My mother and I went Christmas shopping this afternoon together and while making small talk on the way to our first destination she managed to bring up missionaries and asked me questions about my missionaries back at school. I told her about them and was even able to explain transfers to her. I mentioned an instance where I got to meet sister missionaries and she immediately started asking questions about that! GREAT, now I have an in! After a few moments of the conversation I asked her about the possibility of me going on a mission. She paused. After a few seconds she says "well, I would have to ask you a few questions about it. I'm not surprised you would want to go on one". She started asking the general questions about what happens on a mission, how long it is, where I would be, etc. I answered the questions to the best of my ability and my mother answered saying, "If you're feeling prompted by God to go, who am I to stand in your way". Score! Now I just have to tell my father... hmm. During our shopping time, we went to kohl's as our first stop. While we were walking around the store she perks up and says, "what do sister missionaries wear?", I described an outfit for her and we part our ways. When we meet up she's carrying a simple black skirt and a soft sweater and buys me my first outfit. I'm happy she's showing a bit of support. We get home from shopping and all I want to do is read my scriptures (I have a homework assignment to read to the end of the Book of Mormon by the beginning of January.. I'm currently in Jacob.). I prayed before hand that Heavenly Father show me what He wants me to see and let the verses stand out that He wants me to learn from and then I start to read and in the first chapter I read about Jacob wanting to bring people to Christ to make their souls happy. I've read verses like this before but they never had meaning to me until I decided to go on a mission. It wasn't too long after reading this verse that I couldn't read any further. It was if no matter how much I wanted to finish another chapter, it wasn't going to be possible. That's when I recieved a phone call from my old friend and missionary, Garrett. I asked him the same questions I had been asking everybody else I had talked to and he didn't hesitate to give me the answers I needed. I learned from Garrett that I don't need to be the most knowledgable person or the most perfect person to go on a mission but I do need to seek God in this time and pray and read scripture until my time comes. If I wasn't 100% about going on a mission beforehand, I am now! Garrett has been an amazing example to me. 
I have been thinking a lot about this mission lately. I am so excited to even have this opportunity! I feel the spirit so strongly in this time. I only hope that these next 349 days bring happiness, obedience, that I can prepare in these days and seek God. All I ever want to accomplish in life is please God and follow His plans for me!

Day 1

It's my first day home from the school that I attend, Roberts Wesleyan College, for Christmas break. I love being able to breathe fresh air after nearly suffocating during finals week. The first thing I did tonight, upon arriving home, was attend my ward's Christmas party. I cannot tell you how amazing it was to be home and see the people that I haven't seen in over 2-3 months! Naturally I was drawn to my ward's missionaries. I don't know what it is about the wards in NY but there are never anybody my age. There's either elderly or children. Which I don't mind sometimes, it's nice to be fussed over sometimes. I find myself drawn to the missionaries because they're my age. We were talking for awhile when a member that I ADORE came over to talk with me about school and we got to catch up a bit, which was so awesome! While I was talking to her about school and my major she mentioned going on a mission. She mentioned a few benefits about going on a mission and started to convince me a little more. I'm not going to lie to you, I've thought quickly about going on a mission before but I've always dismissed the idea as fast as it came to my mind. Until now, I never really considered it more than that. She talked to me about her experience as a missionary and how it changed her life. I couldn't stop think about this conversation all night! When I got home, I did the first thing I could do and contact a missionary I've known for a long time, Elder Wilcox and asked him about his current mission and how he decided to come out. One thing I have been nervous about was being able to answer questions from investigators and members. What if I can't answer it or don't have the words to say? Elder Wilcox quickly put my mind at ease, answering my questions without hesitation. At this, I asked a past missionary what he thought of his mission. He said it was the BEST thing that has ever happened in his life and if he could go again, he would. Finally, I asked a member that is on his way to start his mission. I asked him the same questions, he replied saying that he had been feeling the prompting and couldn't ignore them. He's set to leave for his mission in February. 
    I've taken a first baby step and I hope I can make my steps larger to rise to my challenge. I want to be a great missionary and I aspire to at least be half as amazing as my missionaries now! I have 350 days, I'll be praying and studying scriptures! I hope I can do this! 

Remember, The church is true!

Here I am Lord.

I've never been too amazing at blogging. I've always started a blog and then after a few days of excitment, I fizzle out of the blogging mood. I'm going to try my hardest to keep up with this one! 

     I converted to the LDS church a year and a half ago on August 1, 2010. That day was the most amazing day of my life! This church is the most amazing and TRUE church I have ever been to and been a part of. Through the church, I have obviously met some of their missionaries. The missionaries I have met are the most amazing people I have ever met! They're so inspirational and influential and of course they're amazingly fun! Through becoming a part of the church I have learned that men and women, usually between the ages of 19 and 26 (I believe) give up 1 1/2 to 2 years of their lives that they pay for to set out to another part of the country or the world to teach about the church and of course, they teach of God! Okay... I'm not going to lie, I thought they were nuts! I couldn't go 2 years without my family! Not to mention music and TV, which by the way they cannot engage in. Sounds horrible right? WELLL... it's not! Not only do they get to meet new people, see somewhere new, interact and make friends with people their age BUT they get to teach God's word! They get to bring people to the church! They get to to baptize people! WAY COOL! I have been so effected by their good news and good example! So that brings this to me, what do they have to do with me?

      Well, recently, I have been prompted to become a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which isn't highly abnormal for a person my age. I feel nervous, anxious, excited, scared, happy and so many other emotions at one time! Heavenly Father has been telling me that it's time BUT the only problem is... I have to wait another year. I'm only 20. It's a huge bummer but it gives me so much time to read my Book of Mormon and Scriptures and to study God's word. It gives me time to listen to my missionaries, church leaders and visiting teachers. This gives me so much time to prepare. So that's my challenge. For the next 350 days I am going to read and learn about the scriptures and the church and indulge in what Heavenly Father has in store for me!
 

             I love Heavenly Father so much! I am so blessed to have everything that I do now. I am so thankful for my friends and my family, for the opportunity to go on a mission and for my church and church family! I KNOW that the church is TRUE. I know that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the restoration and that Thomas S. Monson is our living prophet today. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for not only me but everyone on the earth! In the name of Jesus Christ, I say all these things. Amen.