My father-figure Cliff wrote this to me in an email. I am so grateful for him and all of his kindness over the years.
“You have to keep in mind that it is entirely up to you what you do…It is your path so remember that all the things you do on your journey are important and they don't always fall in the time frames or plans of others and that is o.k. because it is not their road to follow.”
I think sometimes we just need simple reminders that we’re all living different lives and we shouldn’t expect our “journey” to go the same way or at the same pace as others. Every life is beautiful because it belongs to one particular person—we each write our own story and that’s what makes it so special.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Happiness
“Humility and gratitude are truly the twin characteristics of happiness” (Richard C. Edgley, “The Empowerment of Humility,” Liahona, Nov 2003, 97–99).
Interesting to think that two things considered weaknesses in today’s world can give you so much power.
Interesting to think that two things considered weaknesses in today’s world can give you so much power.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Fear Not!
Have you ever thought about fear? Real fear? I’m not talking about fear of spiders or snakes, but rather the deeper fear of failing, rejection, and/or the unknown.
Hmmm….
With all of the changes going on in my life at the moment, fear has been a nagging companion; you don’t want it there, but it sticks around and interrupts your thoughts at the worst moments. It just wont leave you alone!
But really…what do we have to be afraid of? What is there to fear in the first place? I just think about all of the good things in my life and sometimes I wonder if my fear comes from focusing on the wrong things. How often do we look at the glass half empty rather than half full? I’ve seen firsthand in my life that the more I trust in the Lord, the less I fear. And no matter how cliché this sounds, somehow it always seems to work out. What can I say?—I like to think of myself as an optimist.
Confidence. Courage. Easier said than done, right? Perhaps. But if nothing else, we just have to remember that fear is not a necessary emotion. Faith comes from God while fear comes from the adversary. The two—fear and faith—are antitheses of each other and there is no room for one when the other is present. So really, we have a choice…which do we wish to follow?
Ha! No competition there.
Hmmm….
With all of the changes going on in my life at the moment, fear has been a nagging companion; you don’t want it there, but it sticks around and interrupts your thoughts at the worst moments. It just wont leave you alone!
But really…what do we have to be afraid of? What is there to fear in the first place? I just think about all of the good things in my life and sometimes I wonder if my fear comes from focusing on the wrong things. How often do we look at the glass half empty rather than half full? I’ve seen firsthand in my life that the more I trust in the Lord, the less I fear. And no matter how cliché this sounds, somehow it always seems to work out. What can I say?—I like to think of myself as an optimist.
Confidence. Courage. Easier said than done, right? Perhaps. But if nothing else, we just have to remember that fear is not a necessary emotion. Faith comes from God while fear comes from the adversary. The two—fear and faith—are antitheses of each other and there is no room for one when the other is present. So really, we have a choice…which do we wish to follow?
Ha! No competition there.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
A Tiny Seed
Once again, I was looking through my old assignments and came across the following from my Mission Prep class in the fall of 2006. Interestingly enough, faith has been a major study topic for me the past couple of days, so I thought this was all too relevant and the perfect thing to share:
To more fully understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ, one must first understand the founding principle – faith. In Ether 12:6, it reads, “faith is things which are hoped for and not seen.” This definition is repeated in the teachings of the Apostle Paul, “Now faith is the [assurance] of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). It is the principle of action and power.
But what does that mean? Faith as the principle of action acts as the director of everything a person does. Approaching this idea in physical terms, it can be seen that every action, no matter how small, is performed by faith. To walk across the room, one must believe, or have faith, that the floor will withstand the pressure of the footstep. To buy groceries for her family, a mother must not only have faith that, by turning the key, her car will start, but that the store will be where it was the last time she shopped. This idea can be applied spiritually as well. To pray, or speak with God, one must have faith that God is listening. In fact, one must have faith that God exists at all.
This is where the principle of power comes in. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God” (Hebrews 11:3). It is the very act of believing that gives one the power to do. Therefore, God had faith that he could create the worlds. “Had it not been for the principle of faith the worlds would never have been framed, neither would man have been formed of the dust” (“Lectures on Faith” 3). This ability, or power to do by belief, is given to man as well. When explaining to the Apostles why they could not cast out devils, Christ said, “[It is] because of your unbelief: for…If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed…nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:19-20). In both Hebrews 11 and Ether 12, miracles such as Noah’s Ark, the parting of the Red Sea, and the brother of Jared’s witness of the Lord show that “If [man] will have faith in me [he] shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me” (Moroni 7:33).
Though faith can give man power, it is a gift from God and must be nurtured. Alma’s teachings reflect the words of the Lord mentioned above. “Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart…it will begin to swell within your breasts” (Alma 32:28). Man is given the seed and it is up to him to attend to it so that it may grow. Without proper care, faith, like the seed, will whither and die.
Outlined in Alma 32:27, Alma also teaches how man can cause that seed of faith to grow. First, he must have the simple desire to believe. Second, he must ‘arouse [his] faculties’ or admit that perhaps there is a God, or have hope that something else could exist. Thirdly, he must experiment upon the thing in question by praying, keeping the Lord’s commandments, or studying the scriptures. And lastly, after all of these things have been exercised, there will begin to be a growth of the seed of faith, even so that it “beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me” (Alma 32:28). By all these things can man nurture the faith God gives him.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ would not exist without faith. It is by this founding principle that all things were created and are now and will forever be performed.
Works Cited
Bible. King James Version. Salt Lake City: LDS Church, 1979.
Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City: LDS Church, 1981.
“Lectures on Faith.” Prepared by the Prophet Joseph Smith: Deseret Book, 1985.
I know through both personal experience and prayer that all of these things speak truth. If we doubt, we must trust in the Father and have confidence, move ourselves to action, and then we will receive power. The witness comes after the trial of our faith (Ether 12:6) and it is by faith that all things are fulfilled (Ether 12:3).
To more fully understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ, one must first understand the founding principle – faith. In Ether 12:6, it reads, “faith is things which are hoped for and not seen.” This definition is repeated in the teachings of the Apostle Paul, “Now faith is the [assurance] of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). It is the principle of action and power.
But what does that mean? Faith as the principle of action acts as the director of everything a person does. Approaching this idea in physical terms, it can be seen that every action, no matter how small, is performed by faith. To walk across the room, one must believe, or have faith, that the floor will withstand the pressure of the footstep. To buy groceries for her family, a mother must not only have faith that, by turning the key, her car will start, but that the store will be where it was the last time she shopped. This idea can be applied spiritually as well. To pray, or speak with God, one must have faith that God is listening. In fact, one must have faith that God exists at all.
This is where the principle of power comes in. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God” (Hebrews 11:3). It is the very act of believing that gives one the power to do. Therefore, God had faith that he could create the worlds. “Had it not been for the principle of faith the worlds would never have been framed, neither would man have been formed of the dust” (“Lectures on Faith” 3). This ability, or power to do by belief, is given to man as well. When explaining to the Apostles why they could not cast out devils, Christ said, “[It is] because of your unbelief: for…If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed…nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:19-20). In both Hebrews 11 and Ether 12, miracles such as Noah’s Ark, the parting of the Red Sea, and the brother of Jared’s witness of the Lord show that “If [man] will have faith in me [he] shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me” (Moroni 7:33).
Though faith can give man power, it is a gift from God and must be nurtured. Alma’s teachings reflect the words of the Lord mentioned above. “Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart…it will begin to swell within your breasts” (Alma 32:28). Man is given the seed and it is up to him to attend to it so that it may grow. Without proper care, faith, like the seed, will whither and die.
Outlined in Alma 32:27, Alma also teaches how man can cause that seed of faith to grow. First, he must have the simple desire to believe. Second, he must ‘arouse [his] faculties’ or admit that perhaps there is a God, or have hope that something else could exist. Thirdly, he must experiment upon the thing in question by praying, keeping the Lord’s commandments, or studying the scriptures. And lastly, after all of these things have been exercised, there will begin to be a growth of the seed of faith, even so that it “beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me” (Alma 32:28). By all these things can man nurture the faith God gives him.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ would not exist without faith. It is by this founding principle that all things were created and are now and will forever be performed.
Works Cited
Bible. King James Version. Salt Lake City: LDS Church, 1979.
Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City: LDS Church, 1981.
“Lectures on Faith.” Prepared by the Prophet Joseph Smith: Deseret Book, 1985.
I know through both personal experience and prayer that all of these things speak truth. If we doubt, we must trust in the Father and have confidence, move ourselves to action, and then we will receive power. The witness comes after the trial of our faith (Ether 12:6) and it is by faith that all things are fulfilled (Ether 12:3).
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The Joy of Choosing
I’ve realized more and more lately just how much our lives are composed of decisions—one after the other. Cereal or yogurt? Jeans or shorts? Blue or green shirt? Drive or walk? Hair up or down?
And then, of course, there are the more complicated choices that drive us absolutely mad, and it gets to the point where if you don’t make a decision fast, you’ll just get more and more confused. Sometimes you get so confused that you act impulsively hoping to escape the fog and to find clarity. Not that you don’t have reason to act the way you did, but you made the decision without really figuring out if it’s what you really wanted. Then the hard part comes a day or two later when things start setting in, including doubt, and you spend half of your time torturing yourself over whether or not your decision was right or wrong.
See, for the most part, there is no right or wrong. As one of my favorite high school teachers Miss Tripp once said, “Change is neither good nor bad sometimes. It is just different.” I know a lot of people who sit there waiting for someone else to tell them what to do, including God. Well, first of all, God expects us to make our own decisions; we choose our own path and He’ll make sure we don’t get too far off the straight and narrow. So in life, when we’re faced with a difficult choice, it’s not that there is a particular right or wrong, black or white. No. Instead, we have a myriad of colors displayed before us and we just have to pick which one we want to deal with.
My personal problem (as I’m sure it’s the same for most people) is understanding what it is that I really want, and then finding satisfaction in the decision I’ve made. This is a quote from an email I sent to my DKVs (three of my high school friends), “And oh how I'm bitter! Bitter and angry. Not with anyone in particular, just at the situation in general and myself for not being able to be happy with the decision that I made. Why can't feelings just be so clean-cut and clear!?!?"
I’ve always compared life to being at a train station. Imagine yourself on a platform and you have plenty of different trains to choose from. For the most part, it doesn’t matter which train you choose to take because most of them are going to the same place…it’s just about how you’re going to get there. How many stops? How many train changes? It’s like goal setting. The journey is a long one, so you have to break it up into different parts. Everyone chooses a path that suits their needs (the fastest route, the scenic route, etc.). So you set a goal and you work to reach it. Once you’re there, it’s time to set a different goal, or to choose a different train.
So you choose a train to your liking. Maybe it’s a really comfortable train. Maybe you like the people on it. Maybe it’s the fastest one. Who knows, who cares, it’s different for everyone. Well, the train makes its first stop and you find yourself with a decision to make. Do I stay on this train or do I find another one?
You decide to change trains, so you make your way to the platform and start looking around at your options. Perhaps you spend a significant amount of time at the station. Perhaps you find a new train right away. That’s up to you.
And after doing this time and time again, you might find that one time, you got on the wrong train and have to backtrack. Or maybe you were lucky and got on a train with more benefits than others. Whatever happens, each train you take gives you new experiences to learn from and, hopefully, brings you closer to your destination.
The analogy can go on and on, and you can take it whichever way you like. But all in all, we’re here on this earth to learn for ourselves by making countless decisions day after day. We just have to realize that our lives are not controlled by some predetermined Fate, but overseen by a loving Heavenly Father who has blessed us with our own agency and who wants us to choose for ourselves. And if we keep our hearts open to Him, He will never let us go astray. We ask for His help (as we daily should do!), but it is up to us to make the initial action!
And then, of course, there are the more complicated choices that drive us absolutely mad, and it gets to the point where if you don’t make a decision fast, you’ll just get more and more confused. Sometimes you get so confused that you act impulsively hoping to escape the fog and to find clarity. Not that you don’t have reason to act the way you did, but you made the decision without really figuring out if it’s what you really wanted. Then the hard part comes a day or two later when things start setting in, including doubt, and you spend half of your time torturing yourself over whether or not your decision was right or wrong.
See, for the most part, there is no right or wrong. As one of my favorite high school teachers Miss Tripp once said, “Change is neither good nor bad sometimes. It is just different.” I know a lot of people who sit there waiting for someone else to tell them what to do, including God. Well, first of all, God expects us to make our own decisions; we choose our own path and He’ll make sure we don’t get too far off the straight and narrow. So in life, when we’re faced with a difficult choice, it’s not that there is a particular right or wrong, black or white. No. Instead, we have a myriad of colors displayed before us and we just have to pick which one we want to deal with.
My personal problem (as I’m sure it’s the same for most people) is understanding what it is that I really want, and then finding satisfaction in the decision I’ve made. This is a quote from an email I sent to my DKVs (three of my high school friends), “And oh how I'm bitter! Bitter and angry. Not with anyone in particular, just at the situation in general and myself for not being able to be happy with the decision that I made. Why can't feelings just be so clean-cut and clear!?!?"
I’ve always compared life to being at a train station. Imagine yourself on a platform and you have plenty of different trains to choose from. For the most part, it doesn’t matter which train you choose to take because most of them are going to the same place…it’s just about how you’re going to get there. How many stops? How many train changes? It’s like goal setting. The journey is a long one, so you have to break it up into different parts. Everyone chooses a path that suits their needs (the fastest route, the scenic route, etc.). So you set a goal and you work to reach it. Once you’re there, it’s time to set a different goal, or to choose a different train.
So you choose a train to your liking. Maybe it’s a really comfortable train. Maybe you like the people on it. Maybe it’s the fastest one. Who knows, who cares, it’s different for everyone. Well, the train makes its first stop and you find yourself with a decision to make. Do I stay on this train or do I find another one?
You decide to change trains, so you make your way to the platform and start looking around at your options. Perhaps you spend a significant amount of time at the station. Perhaps you find a new train right away. That’s up to you.
And after doing this time and time again, you might find that one time, you got on the wrong train and have to backtrack. Or maybe you were lucky and got on a train with more benefits than others. Whatever happens, each train you take gives you new experiences to learn from and, hopefully, brings you closer to your destination.
The analogy can go on and on, and you can take it whichever way you like. But all in all, we’re here on this earth to learn for ourselves by making countless decisions day after day. We just have to realize that our lives are not controlled by some predetermined Fate, but overseen by a loving Heavenly Father who has blessed us with our own agency and who wants us to choose for ourselves. And if we keep our hearts open to Him, He will never let us go astray. We ask for His help (as we daily should do!), but it is up to us to make the initial action!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
What Beauty is to Me
So I was browsing through some of my old papers from high school and came across the following. It was a short assignment from who knows when:
Personally, beauty is not the amount of make-up one wears nor the money spent on clothes, but rather confidence in oneself. As there is moderation in all things, a healthy balance of self-confidence and self-appreciation can prove to outweigh any physical feature. Picture two girls walking down the street: The first, though made-up and glamorous, walks sluggishly with her head down. The second, though plain in her appearance, walks with enthusiasm and her head held high. She acknowledges others passing her and smiles as they go by. To me, the latter example has true beauty; she feels good about herself and expresses it through her actions. I would much rather see a sincere smile on one’s lips than lipstick. Society today pushes its image of “beauty” on women so fiercely that people have begun to take drastic measures. With eating disorders growing more common everyday, I only wonder how these magazine models and movie stars honestly feel about themselves. I myself may not be the thinnest person nor am I the most catching, but I feel good about who I am and am comfortable with what I do. With that said, I admit that when I look in the mirror, I can say to myself, “Hey, I like you!” instead of criticizing remarks. And in that, I find true beauty.
Personally, beauty is not the amount of make-up one wears nor the money spent on clothes, but rather confidence in oneself. As there is moderation in all things, a healthy balance of self-confidence and self-appreciation can prove to outweigh any physical feature. Picture two girls walking down the street: The first, though made-up and glamorous, walks sluggishly with her head down. The second, though plain in her appearance, walks with enthusiasm and her head held high. She acknowledges others passing her and smiles as they go by. To me, the latter example has true beauty; she feels good about herself and expresses it through her actions. I would much rather see a sincere smile on one’s lips than lipstick. Society today pushes its image of “beauty” on women so fiercely that people have begun to take drastic measures. With eating disorders growing more common everyday, I only wonder how these magazine models and movie stars honestly feel about themselves. I myself may not be the thinnest person nor am I the most catching, but I feel good about who I am and am comfortable with what I do. With that said, I admit that when I look in the mirror, I can say to myself, “Hey, I like you!” instead of criticizing remarks. And in that, I find true beauty.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Charity
I recently came across the following quote:
“The reason charity never fails and the reason charity is greater than even the most significant acts of goodness he cited is that charity, ‘the pure love of Christ’ (Moroni 7:47), is not an act but a condition or state of being. Charity is attained through a succession of acts that result in a conversion. Charity is something one becomes” (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge to Become,” Ensign, November 2000, 32-34).
After reading this, I immediately thought of the scripture Doctrine and Covenants 88:125, “And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace.”
If we want to become like Christ, we need to not just do, but to become. I never really considered charity as a condition, but if we are to enwrap ourselves with charity “as with a mantle,” then we are surrounding ourselves completely. And to clothe ourselves with charity, we are taking it upon ourselves, just as we take on the name of Christ when we are baptized. I find it interesting to see charity as more than just something you do, but as something you are.
Other scriptures on charity: 2 Nephi 26:30 and Moroni 7:44-47
“The reason charity never fails and the reason charity is greater than even the most significant acts of goodness he cited is that charity, ‘the pure love of Christ’ (Moroni 7:47), is not an act but a condition or state of being. Charity is attained through a succession of acts that result in a conversion. Charity is something one becomes” (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge to Become,” Ensign, November 2000, 32-34).
After reading this, I immediately thought of the scripture Doctrine and Covenants 88:125, “And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace.”
If we want to become like Christ, we need to not just do, but to become. I never really considered charity as a condition, but if we are to enwrap ourselves with charity “as with a mantle,” then we are surrounding ourselves completely. And to clothe ourselves with charity, we are taking it upon ourselves, just as we take on the name of Christ when we are baptized. I find it interesting to see charity as more than just something you do, but as something you are.
Other scriptures on charity: 2 Nephi 26:30 and Moroni 7:44-47
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