All things from the Beginning

This last semester was probably one of the hardest semesters I've ever had. Between really hard classes, two jobs, being on a dance team and health struggles, I was really feeling like there was no way that this semester could ever turn out well. I tried to have faith, but inside I just felt like this was part of mortal life, sometimes things crash and I just had to accept it. While I still feel like sometimes things are hard and that's just life, now that I am at the end of the semester I recognize that Heavenly Father always has a plan for us. This sounds so basic, everyone should know this right? In my head I did know it, but now I really know it. Though maybe what happens in our lives wasn't what we originally wanted, in the end it is actually what is best. At the beginning of the semester He knew what was going to happen and he knew what my reactions and capabilities would be. In pondering all these thoughts, the following scripture came to mind:
1 Nephi 9: 6 But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen.
This semester I have learned (and am still learning) that trusting in Heavenly Father means recognizing and REMEMBERING that Heavenly Father has all power and that if you try your best to follow him (and even sometimes when you have your moments of forgetting to trust him), things will work out the way Heavenly Father knows they need to, because he DOES know all things from the beginning. I realized today looking back at this semester that I have a lot of peace with how things are turning out. No I don't have perfect grades, I'm not perfectly healed from all my different health issues, and I didn't get all my hours in for work, but the most important things are working out. There are also things that have happened this semester that needed to happen that wouldn't have happened if everything had gone the way I had hoped and planned. So overall I guess I just hope my future self will remember to trust Heavenly Father more and remember that he really does prepare "a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men," and that "he hath all power."

Treasure

I was having a really hard time in thinking about what to share this week. But then my home teachers came over and their thought inspired me so much that I wanted to share it with y'all. It comes from Jacob 2:18-19 
18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.
19 And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

My home teachers shared the perspective that riches can mean many different things. As students this can especially apply to knowledge and education. I can be so easy to let the stress of school (and finals) get in the way of our spiritual education and putting Heavenly Father first. Along with that, the purpose of why we gain knowledge and education really does matter. Yes we need to get a degree so that we can provide for ourselves and our families, but even more important than that is to gain knowledge so that we can accomplish the personal missions Heavenly Father has planned for each of us. When we make that our primary focus, I really believe that Heavenly Father will bless us to have enough for ourselves but also be blessed we the resources to help others who might not have as much as we do! And not only monetarily but spiritually and educationally. When we have knowledge in certain things, we are expected to help others who need help in those areas, whether it's math, health or even Family History. It's like D&C 82:3 says, "For of him unto whom much is given much is required..." So, as we go into finals, I hope that we can all remember why we're doing what we're doing, and also remember that Heavenly Father will always help us when we put him first!

All Things have been done in the Wisdom of Him

This week my roommate showed me this scripture:

2 Nephi 2:24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

I'm sorry to say that though I have looked at verse 25 a million times, verse 24 hasn't stood out to me as much before, especially in how in connects to verse 25.

This scripture shows that all Heavenly Father does, in his perfect wisdom, is in the end for our benefit and happiness. In the midst of a busy and hard semester this is something that I have to remember. In my short-sited-ness sometimes I get so caught up in my "right now." I get upset that things don't go the way I want when I want them to. Throughout the scriptures (as well as church history) there are multiple examples of people going through hard times, not being able to understand why, but then seeing later how the hands of the Lord were involved even in the tiniest details of their lives. This scripture was a good reminder for me that the Lord is aware of me, and that if I just trust him even when I don't understand why (for example when he prompts me to take a really really hard class), eventually I will get through it. Maybe someday I'll even see the reason why. But even if I don't, I can know that Heavenly Father knows all things and that he loves me more then I can comprehend and therefore things will work out for my good if I only humble myself enough to trust him.

Sundrops through the Rain

There are some days that I am just so thankful for the Book of Mormon. Because Heavenly Father uses it to speak to each of us individually. Today was one of those days when he used one verse to speak specifically to me.

Alma 31:31
"O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me..."

The word affliction stood out to me because I am having the hardest semester I've ever had before, boy when it rains it pours. But when I reflected on this scripture and how it applies to me the spirit brought other scriptures to my mind (I love it when that happens ;) ).
First I was reminded of this scripture:
D&C 121: 7
"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;"

Then that scripture made me think of this one:
Isaiah 41:10
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Using these three scriptures created a conversation between me and Heavenly Father in my head. Alma 31 was what I said, and D&C and Isaiah are what Heavenly Father said in reply. We all have these times in our lives where we cry out to Heavenly Father for help, comfort and strength, and the wonderful thing is, and that I testify of, is that he ALWAYS answers. Whether it is through the scriptures, thoughts to our minds or through the people around us he always answers. Life is still hard, and everyone once in awhile I'll probably be angry about it, but I'm grateful for the little sundrops that Heavenly Father sends down to us through the rain. That's why I'm grateful for the Book of Mormon today!

The Precious Things

Wow I haven't posted in a long time and I am very out of practice. My Book of Mormon class this semester is fantastic. It has been so long since I have done a good study of the Book of Mormon and I am learning a lot. There are so many little tidbits in the scriptures that are easy to miss but can mean so much! One such tidbit for me this week was Jacob 1:2 :

"And he gave me, Jacob, a commandment that I should write upon these plates a few of the things which I considered to be most precious;"

I wonder how Jacob felt to receive that charge. Overwhelmed I am sure. This made me wonder, what things would I write? What things would I consider to be most precious? This led me to think about two things; recording me life/spiritual impressions and experiences, and what is most important to me (as well as prioritizing those things). Being a family history major and all you'd think I'd be real good at keeping a personal history and journal right? Ha! My journal entries are very few and far between and rarely full of important information. I get overwhelmed at all the things I could write (and plus what crazy busy college student ever has time for that?) and when I do write is often ends up being about what I did that day. Jacob has taught me that focusing on writing the precious things (which for me is spiritual experiences or lessons I'm learning through my lifelong challenges). Because what we write should be real, and it should be things that we need to remember in the future. The second part, what is important to me and prioritizing was a good self check and a reminder that I need to be more active in making sure I put the Lord first in my life! Thanks for the lesson and reminder Jacob!

Trust in God No Matter What the Timing

I've been studying the topic of trust in the Book of Mormon lately. I've had a desire to know what trust means, what my part of trust is, and what God's part is. As I read the story of the people of Alma and the burdens placed on their backs in Mosiah 24, I was struck with how much faith they had. They cried "mightily to God" (Mosiah 24:10) unlike the people of Limhi who tried to "deliver themselves out of bondage" (Mosiah 22:1). The people of Limhi waited patiently upon the Lord to not only lighten their burdens in His timing, but also to deliver them in His timing.
This time in reading chapter 24 I realized that it doesn't say how long they were in bondage to Amulon and the Lamanites. It could have been a long time, but however long it was, they trusted that all things were in God's control, and it was. Sometimes it is easy to feel that we have to "fix" our lives by ourselves, especially when it seams that God is not listening, or when we want things fixed NOW. But this story is a good reminder that if we "hush our fears, and cry unto the Lord" (Mosiah 24:28) then things will really work out in the best way, His way.

The Book of Mormon

"If you do not have a firm testimony of these things, do that which is necessary to obtain one. It is essential for you to have your own testimony in these difficult times, for the testimonies of others will carry you only so far. However, once obtained, a testimony needs to be kept vital and alive through continued obedience to the commandments of God and through daily prayer and scripture study." - President Thomas S. Monson

For some reason (I hardly know why) that last couple of years I haven't enjoyed reading the Book of Mormon. I've NEVER doubted that it was true, but for some reason I've felt more connected to the Four Gospel and the Doctrine and Covenants, and often chose to read those over reading the Book of Mormon.

However, after hearing the above said by President Monson last Saturday during General Conference, the spirit very directly showed me that I needed to change. It also reminded of when Elder Bednar came to my mission and promised that if we read the Book of Mormon EVERY day that we would never fall away from the gospel.

This last week I have tried to be more diligent in not only reading, but STUDYING the Book of Mormon every day. Though it has only been 5 days, I can already feel a noticeable difference inside myself, reiterating to me how important studying the Book of Mormon every day is.

I know of people who say they are struggling with their testimony of the church.
Sometimes I think we forget, that while it is good, our testimony of the "Church" isn't what is most important and focusing on that distracts us from the most important thing. What is most important is our testimony of Christ and the church is merely the vehicle to keep that strong. Because the Book of Mormon is a testament of Christ. What better way to gain, or to strengthen your testimony of Christ then by reading the Book of Mormon.

If you are struggling with your testimony of the church I invite you to put that aside for now and focus instead on your testimony of the Savior. Whatever may bother you about the church, let it go for a little while and instead put all your effort into making the Savior your best friend. Think about Him, learn about Him, try to feel His love for you because it is always there. Learning about the Savior will always lead you to our Heavenly Father (and I would also add Heavenly Mother because I feel sure they are very alike and one in purpose, as my own parents are), whose love for you is without end.

I know that through reading the Book of Mormon we can get answers to ANY questions, and that you will gain more peace through it than any other way.

Happiness

Alma 41:10 Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.

I've been thinking about the peace that comes from living the commandments. True peace and happiness comes through living the gospel. Even When life gets hard, when trials come, we can still have that peace that comes from knowing the Heavenly Father is on your side and that you have done your part so that Heavenly Father can trust you. It reminds me of the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants that says when virtue garnishes our thoughts we can have confidence in the presence of the Lord. When keep the commandments, we can be happy because God is on our side.

Come Lord Jesus

D&C 35
26 Lift up your hearts and be glad, your redemption draweth nigh.
27 Fear not, little flock, the kingdom is yours until I come. Behold, I come quickly. Even so. Amen.

One of my favorite musicals is "Savior of the World" put on every year at the Conference Center Theater in Salt Lake City. In it is a beautiful song entitled "Come Lord Jesus." The worlds beautifully illustrate how the coming of the Savior is a wonderful day to be looked forward to.

The General Women's Meeting today was beautiful. My favorite talk was by Sister Carol McConkie who talked about becoming holy. She mentioned that we must become more holy to better receive the Savior when he comes. Being holy does not mean that we are perfect or sinless. It means that our desires are focused on the Savior. Through his help and atonement we are sanctified. It is a processed that will never be "finished" in this life. We keep working, we keep repenting, we keep trying. And when we do that then we can look forward to the Savior's coming, and like He asks us to, we can "life up [our] hearts and be glad."

Turning our Hearts (Not just temple work!!!!!)

Malachi 4:5-6
5 ¶ Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Having our hearts turned to our father's is often talked about. We are meant to save those souls who have gone before us by doing their temple work. And while doing temple work is important, I feel very strongly that just doing their temple work isn't enough. Doing Family History doesn't mean doing temple work. While they are very connected, they are two separate things. Doing family history does often mean learning about dates and places, but it also means learning ABOUT the person. So when people tell me that most of their family history work is done I laugh. If most of their family's temple work is done, that's great, but if that person can't tell me stories about their ancestors, then they can't say that their family history is done. Family history is personal, it's about personally learning about them. That is what it means to turn YOUR heart to your fathers. Because when you really take the time to learn about someone, then you come to love them.

Go and Do = Faith

1 Nephi 3:7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

This has always been one of my favorite scriptures. It was one of the reasons I went on a mission. And I've always thought of it in terms of obedience. God will help you when you are obedient. That is a truth. However, as I've recently been learning about faith, I realize that this is a scripture about faith. Faith means that you trust in God no matter what. Faith means that you always do what he asks you to because you believe that he knows best (and yes that is obedience). Faith is the power that enables us to do what God asks us to do.

In my study about faith lately I've learned three things about faith (well three things so far. There is so much to learn about faith!). Faith is trust, faith is action/obedience and faith is power. All three of them work together to accomplish the Lord's work when we do our best. He is always there for us!

Savior Redeemer of My Soul

Something that has really struck me lately is how, not only does the Savior know how to comfort us, but he also knows our weaknesses, and he knows how to strengthen us against them.

D&C 62:1
"Behold, and hearken, O ye elders of my church, saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, your advocate, who knoweth the weakness of man and how to succor them who are tempted."

Something I learned in my religion class that I love is that the greatest miracle of all is repentance. And another thing was that my teacher said that we should never stop asking for the Miracle of forgiveness. I have heard (and read a little of) the book by President Kimball entitled "The Miracle of Forgiveness," but the meaning of this title, finally connected in my head. Because the Savior, understands us perfectly, and because of His infinite sacrifice we can repent and be forgiven. Where would we be without any of this, and just as the hymn says "Savior Redeemer of my Soul, whose mighty hand hath made me whole."

Pondered them in her Heart

We live in a world that promotes openly sharing just about anything and everything about your life with everyone. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter definitely help to make that possible. While there is something to be said about being open and always being yourself, I think that often things are taken way too far, and we need to be careful that sacred things are not always shared. While this is (hopefully) obvious for things like the temple, I think there are times when Heavenly Father wants us to keep some personal experiences to ourselves too. We need to go by the spirit to know when to share things and when not to, instead of automatically posting everything.

One of my favorite scriptures is Luke 2:19

             But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

This it is short and simple I believe that there is a great lesson to be learned from this or it wouldn't have been written in the scriptures :)
Do we take the time to not only be grateful for our special experiences and tenders mercies, but to also ponder on them? And what does it mean to truly ponder? Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said that "Pondering, which means to weigh mentally, to deliberate, to meditate, can achieve the opening of the spiritual eyes of one’s understanding. Also, the Spirit of the Lord may rest upon the ponderer as described by President Smith" (1). Most often when I think about pondering I think of it in the terms of just "thinking about something." But Elder Wirthlin refers to it as "the  opening of the spiritual eyes of one’s understanding." I can't think of a time of the world when spiritual eyes need to be opened to understanding more then our time. Neither is there a more needed time for us to have "the Spirit of the Lord... rest upon [us]" as now.

I know that Heavenly Father wants us to have many personal spiritual experiences, even daily personal spiritual experiences. I also know that there are times to share them with others to help and uplift. The "trick" is knowing when to and when not to, and for that we need to spirit :)

(1) Wirthlin, Joseph B. Pondering Strengthens the Spiritual Life. April 1982. lds.org.

According to His Will

These week has been an interesting week for me. Just a lot going on inside this crazy head of mine :)
I've been learning a lot though, and trying to focus more on making sure I have scripture study and it has been a neat experience for me! Just another witness from Heavenly Father that what he asks us to do is really for out benefit. With that in mind, this scripture in the Words of Mormon really stood out to me in Chapter 1 verse 7:

"And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will."

Mormon is speaking here referencing that fact that he doesn't always understand why the spirit directs him to compile certain writings and teaching, but that he does it and trusts God.

The word trust has come to mean a lot to me, in my mind, for experiences I've had in my life, it is synonymous with faith. I have to recognize that I don't always understand why things happen to me, or why Heavenly Father asks me to do certain things, but I know that He sees the big picture and that it will all be ok, and it will all make sense in the end.

Heavenly Father has specific things he has planned for us in this life, that's why we have the personalities that we have, and the talents and gifts. And if we allow Him to, he can make much more of our lives then we can :)

Speedily Obedient

Today my in our family scripture study we read this verse from Alma Chapter 8:

18 Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah. And he entered the city by another way, yea, by the way which is on the south of the city of Ammonihah.

What really struck me today was the word speedily. It made me wonder, how often do I do what the Lord asks speedily? So many times he asks me to do things that aren't necessarily hard, but I forget about them and then remember days later. Here Alma is, and the Lord asks him to do something really hard and Alma goes speedily. 

I'm grateful for reminders from the scriptures, and I am resolving to be not only more obedient, but more speedily obedient :)

A Mission

This week I read the talk from General Conference given by Elder Neil L. Andersen entitled "A witness of God." When I first started reading it I have to be completely honest that "Oh no, not another talk about missionary work" crossed my mind (which I'm repenting of ;) ). However, this passage really struck me. Elder Andersen said:

"To be a witness of God at all times and in all places reflects both how we live and how we speak.

Be open about your faith in Christ. When the occasion presents itself, speak of His life, His  teachings, and His incomparable gift to all mankind. Share His powerful truths from the  Book of Mormon. He has given us this promise: “Whosoever …shall confess me before  men, him will I confess … before my Father … in heaven.”10 I promise you that as you pray often and sincerely for opportunities to “stand as a witness of God,” those opportunities will come, and those who seek more light and knowledge will be put before you. As you respondto spiritual promptings, the Holy Ghost will carry your words to the heart of another, and oneday the Savior will con-fess you before His Father."

It occurred to me that so often in the church we categorize missionary work as "teaching and baptizing people who aren't members of the church." While this is a part of it (a very small part of it that I feel is over emphasized), being a missionary is so much more than that. The word missionary in the Webster dictionary is:
"a person undertaking a mission and especially a religious mission." 
Then what does being a missionary really mean? The missionary purpose is to: "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end."
It just says to invite others, doesn't that really mean everyone? So whether it is our family, friends, roommates, friends and even ourselves, "Mormon" or not being a missionary means to, as Elder Andersen says, "be a witness of God at all times and in all places reflects both how we live and how we speak," then surely we can all be missionaries. Maybe this is just me ranting because I feel like members of the church try to "DO missionary work" instead of just BEING a missionary, which comes from the effects of my mission where I felt like we were taught to do that. But to me being a missionary should just be who we are as disciples of Christ. When we believe and love him it should just be natural to talk about him to others and to share what we believe. Is it easy for me to go up to random strangers and abruptly start talking about the church? Nope! And I honestly don't think it ever will. But can I talk to my friends, family and roommates every single day about gospel topics and about what I believe? Yes! And maybe someday I will have more opportunities to share the gospel in a personal way outside of my friends/family circle, and I hope that I do.
Why as Latter-day Saints is it weird to talk about gospel subjects on a daily basis? (I know I'm generalizing a lot here, but I have met people who seem to feel that way).

In conclusion, this thought process that has literally taken place as I've been writing has helped me want to be a better disciple in the every day small things. If no one reads this (and I kinda hope no one does) it is fine because Heavenly Father taught me things in the process.

Prayer

Lately I have been studying conference talks from the October 2016 General Conference. I recently read "The Lord Jesus Christ Teaches Us to Pray" by Elder Juan A. Uceda of the Seventy.
Why so many parts of the talk made me pause to ponder, this quote in particular made me think:

"Do you prepare yourself to make important decisions by praying to your Heavenly Father? Do you prepare yourself for a moment of prayer?"

While I always take my important decisions to Heavenly Father, I rarely specifically and purposefully prepare myself for a moment of prayer. This quote made me wonder, how does a person prepare themselves for a prayer. The following are only my own thoughts and I am sure, if I took the time, I could find many other conference talks and scriptures that would give greater insight to this principle.

-Before I pray, take time to breath. So often I am rushing, physically and mentally. I need to take the quiet time to slow down.
-Think about what I'm am going to say, what questions does Heavenly Father want me to ask him so that I can learn something. So often I just have a list of things I need.
-As I think about what to say do I ever allow the spirit to put thoughts in my mind of what I should say or ask for?

With these goals in mind, I really believe that prayer can be more than a routine (which is what it has been for me lately), it can be a recharge and a special time between you and Heavenly Father.

God is in the Details

This week this scripture came to my mind a lot:

Moses 1:13 And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee? 

While this is a scripture commonly quoted by many people, and one that I have thought about often before, I thought about it a little bit different this time. In connection with a conversation I had with my mom where she reminded me that God is in the DETAILS of our lives (emphasis on the details, just in case you couldn't tell).  I am learning that because we are God's children, that he cares about every thing about us. Just as my own mother loves hearing about the little things in my life, Heavenly Father not only cares for, but provides for the little things. Even through times that are hard (and the first two weeks of this semester have definitely been hard) Heavenly Father is there. There is purpose in the "hardness." I learn more about myself and what he wants me to do.
So, when the going gets tough, turn to him :)

That Good Part

Lately I have had so many different things on my mind. I've also read so many scriptures recently that have answered questions of my heart. I love the scriptures and am so grateful to them. But, even with the many many wonderful scripture verses that I read I always come back to a scripture that means a lot to me. A really long time ago I had a very sacred and personal experience that related to the story of Mary, Martha and Jesus in the book of Luke. Since then these verses have always meant so much to me.
Luke 10:

40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

So often I become cumbered in my life. I worry about whether I am making the best choices, am I really doing what Heavenly Father wants me too? Am I good enough? Or I worry how I am ever going to accomplish everything that I am supposed to in the timeline required (work, homework, etc.). We all have those things, it is just a part of life I suppose. But something this scripture taught me so long ago is that when we choose that good part (sincere prayer to our Heavenly Father, taking the sacrament with purpose, serving and loving those around us, going to the temple, taking the time to allow Heavenly Father to teach us through reading the scriptures) then everything else will either fall into place in our lives the way He wants it to, or it will fall out of our lives completely (when that happens we know we don't really need it). Really, it comes down to taking the time to allow our Father to become our best friend. He is a friend that will never be "taken away from [us]." I am definitely not very good at keeping Him first in my life all the time. He's never way in the back, but He also is rarely completely in front, and it is not very easy to follow Him when He isn't in front of me. However, during the times that I have put Him in front, I never feel completely alone, I feel peaceful about things in my life, and/or I recognize the things I need to change. He does care even about the little things in our lives, even if it is telling me which hall to go down in the Wilk building so I can find a seat to study in. Sometimes I think we say to ourselves that he doesn't want to be bothered with small and simple things, when in reality our Heavenly Father cares most about the small and simple things. If Heavenly Father had a motto, maybe it would be "Small and Simple Things." ;)
I know Heavenly Father loves us, and that he is just waiting for us to ask Him to lead us, guide us AND ESPECIALLY to walk beside us.
I'm so grateful for that! I'm also really grateful for my religion class that requires me to write things every week. I learn so much from actually sitting down and thinking through my thoughts!
If you ever get a chance to take "Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel" from Tyler Griffin at BYU DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!