Motivation

Alma 38:12

"Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness."

There is something to be said for having motivation in life, for having a purpose, for having a reason to be more than you would otherwise be. It is different for different people, and there is nothing wrong with that, because everyone is different. I believe that I have finally found mine. It struck me today, and it honestly changed my outlook on my day and the reasons I was doing what I was doing, no matter what it was that I found myself doing. It's like my perspective on life has suddenly changed, for the better. I need this in my life, I have needed it for a long time. Happiness has taken on a whole new meaning for me, and I look forward to this happiness growing even more, for I know that it undoubtedly will.

Oh Happy Day!

Alma 37:6-7

"Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls."

Oh what a wonderful weekend. Abigail's parents and friends are absolutely wonderful people. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting them and getting to know them. Even though I did not get much time to get to know them, it was enjoyable nonetheless. I foresee many more chess matches between her father and I! I am so glad that her family loves musicals and the such just as much as I do. Music is such a big part of my life, and it is comforting to find out that Abby was raised to love music just as much as I do (if not more!).  Going to her home branch was also a great experience. The people she grew up with are such wonderful people. I instantly felt welcome. In fact, I had a crazy experience there. We had a missionary by the name of Elder Christianson in our singles ward for about 5-6 months, and he transferred out not 2 weeks ago. Well who would you guess was there in the chapel playing the piano when we arrived? The very same elder that I had come to know and love! It was simply awesome!

I look forward to future plans. This really is getting me excited. The Lord certainly does have a greater plan for his children than we realize most of the time. I believe his plan for me is beginning to pan out and reach fruition.

Hamilton

Alma 36:19-21

"And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy."

That is a great summation, in my opinion, of how wonderful the power of the atonement and the amazing healing power of repentance are. The pain of sin, and sorrow, which we have all felt are terrible. However, once we repent and are forgiven, and recognize that forgiveness in our lives, we can have an equal amount of joy in our lives due to that act of faith. For repentance truly is an act of faith. If we didn't believe that repenting would do anything for us, we wouldn't humble ourselves down to our knees and ask for forgiveness.

That is how the Lord works, by rewarding us based on our demonstrations of faith. Faith is not simply hope in great and good things, it is recognizing what we should have hope in, and then going out and getting it. And upon accomplishing that thing which we set out to do (whether it be asking for forgiveness, following a prompting of the spirit we may have felt, etc), giving thanks unto God for helping you to have the faith to carry out that which he has desired you to do.

My goodness I love the plan of salvation. It really does deserve it's pseudonym of the plan of happiness.

Parental Hope

Alma 35:6

"And it came to pass that after they ahd found out the minds of all the people, those who were in favor of the words which had been spoken by Alma and his brethren were cast out of the land; and they were many; and they came over also into the land of Jershon."

I trust that the Lord is taking care of my parents right now. They love Him so much, their hearts are in the right place, as they have been for a long time now. I look forward with anticipation to the aftermath.

269

Alma 34:32-34

"For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.
And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.
Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in the eternal world."

I think that scripture is quite often mistaken. Or rather not so much mistaken as that I believe it applies to a principle that gets over looked quite often, one that in my opinion could help people find a source of strength far greater than they would otherwise attain. From my experience when people read that scripture they mostly think that it is not meet that people should wait until they are on their deathbed to begin their repentance process. But if that is all they perceive from this, they are missing a very valuable nugget of wisdom.

If this scripture were a discussion on when to, or not to, begin the repentance process it would not talk about "the time that ye go out of this life." That is because the repentance process is just that, a process. It does not happen over night, and therefore cannot be attained on one's "death bed."

What I believe this scripture discusses is a person's view on the way they live their life, not the way they view their death. Repentance is an every day thing, it is a refiner's fire, it should become an attribute of ours just as much as mercy, love, happiness, sadness, and the whole array of emotions. A repentant attitude is a humble attitude, it keeps one's pride in check because if we are prideful then we will think and feel as though we have nothing to repent of, no one to answer to, and we will possibly get a "holier than thou" syndrome when it comes to interacting with other people. Especially other people whom we KNOW are "sinners." (Which leads me to another thought, are not we all sinners?)

The underlying principle that I gather from this discourse is that of enduring. Of enduring through the trials of our day. Our respective days in fact, because enduring is necessary no matter the struggle. If we successfully endure, with a repentant attitude, there will be no need to hope for a "death bed repentance" of sorts because we will have performed our righteous labors in the time given to us to do so. The spirit that is mentioned at the end of that passage is that of either a lethargic one (one that does not take the business of repentance seriously) or that of a devout and God-Respecting one. I pray each day that my spirit within will eek out of my body and overflow into my actions and my words. That my person will carry out the desires of my heart, the desires of my spirit. And I have faith that in doing so, I will carry the image of Christ on my countenance, and that the spirit which doth possess my body in the eternal world is one of love, charity, and faith.

Eight to Nine

Alma 33:8

"Yea, thou art merciful unto thy children when they cry unto thee, to be heard of thee and not of men, and thou wilt hear them."

Ugh, tonight was not a night I want to repeat at work. Apparently Wednesdays can get CRAZY. Anyways... I'm making the best of this situation, work is awesome. I love it.

I am completely looking forward to this weekend, it is going to be amazing. I really have never been happier than I am right now, this is an awesome feeling. It's new but it's not new. The feeling itself isn't new, but the intensity and the luminescence of it is new, and I look forward to it getting even stronger and brighter and better.  But, I work early in the morning, so tonight I bid adieu.

Personal Trees

Alma 31:38

"But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out."

I am finding out more and more how true that scripture is. We must not neglect our testimonies, especially in the early stages. We may have all the belief and hope in the world, but if we simply go on hope and desire, and do not back it with faith it is all for naught when the winds of oppression blow our way. Faith is not simply hoping. Faith is putting your hope and desire into action. Things such as daily feasting on the scriptures, learning to love the living prophets, not only attending church but being attentive and desiring to be spiritually fed. This gospel is more than just a passive spectator sport, it is a living, breathing, exciting thing that we need to take part in. 

Those simple steps have been what has brought me back to the church and kept me there. Once I understood what it took to be a member of the church as opposed to simply being listed as "baptized once upon a time," that's when I started noticing changes within my heart. For if my heart had not been changed, had the seed not taken root, I would have been an example of what Alma was talking about in this scripture. For truly the sun has attempted to scorch my testimony over the past short while, and if I did not understand who I am and why it was important for me to have the standards, morals, and beliefs that I do have - I surely would have caved in to temptation and would be much a lesser person because of it.

Ever Onward

Alma 31:38

"And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith."

So, it is time to go back to school. I have put this off far too long. For numerous reasons, I feel that (since BYU is no longer in the cards) UNT is where I should be. They apparently have a decent psychology program, and I am already familiar with the school and I really enjoyed the one semester I spent there. Now the only question left is housing, I need to sit down and look at the finances, but for the sake of flexibility and less driving time, I'm leaning towards dorms.. ugh.

I don't look forward to the prospect of paying for school, especially when I've been so caught up in saving for a possible mission. However, I'm sure that the Lord will take care of me because I know that education is also an eternal principle and so long as I am pursuing righteous endeavors faithfully, the Lord will bless me with his spirit and guide my path. 

I love the way the Lord puts people into your life at certain times, He certainly knows what He's doing.

Conferece: Temples!

Alma 30:44

"But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; Will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."

The final 2 sessions of Conference today were sublime. The morning session was, in my recollection, the greatest single session of conference that we've had in recent years. Uchtdorf's, Holland's and Monson's talks were all amazing, and the fact that they were all in the same session simply made the entire 2 hour session so powerful. It was the most fun I've ever had watching conference as well as I was surrounded by people that I love dearly. My mother was there, Abigail, Anthony, Chris and Jake all were there with me as we listened intently to the messages of the leaders of our church.

I am so glad that I have found a love for the living prophets, their words truly are the modern revelation that leads and guides this church, and keeps us safe in these turbulent times. These truly are the days prophesied of in the scriptures, the last days, the final dispensation of the fulness of times, the time to prepare the earth for Christ's second coming. I cannot think of a better man to lead Christ's church at this point in time than President Thomas S. Monson. I don't know what it is about him, but when he speaks I can't help but perk up and pay intent attention. I look forward to heeding the counsel that was repeated talk after talk today - that of increased temple attendance. I plan to couple that with finding a temple preparation class so that I can receive even more blessings from the temple through the holy and sacred ordinances that take place inside.

My life definitely is on the up and up, things seem to be working out for the better. The Lord certainly has a sense of humor with the way he has directed my life, but I certainly am not going to start complaining; He knows what's best.

Conference and Denton

Alma 29:3-4

"But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.

I ought not to harrow up in my desires, the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction."

Wow, what a day! Conference was amazing. I am excited about Neil L. Anderson being called the the apostleship. He is such a wonderful and humble man. This is the first time that I have ever taken notes during conference, and it is certainly something that I plan to repeat time after time. It has helped me remember the messages that they have shared with us and the guidance they are giving us for this day and age. I love listening to the prophet and apostles. The institute class I have been taking for the last few months has certainly helped me appreciate these wonderful men and all that they have to offer. I look forward to conference on Sunday and in having fun with my friends and family. It is looking to be a wonderful day, I'm very very anxious and excited!

ILU

Alma 28:13-14

"And thus we see how great the inequality of man is because of sin and transgression, and the power of the devil, which comes by the cunning plans which he hath devised to ensnare the hearts of men.

And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord..."

I am so excited about conference tomorrow. Craig has agreed to come over and watch it with me. I really do hope that he feels the spirit. It would mean the world to me, to see such a wonderful man take one step closer to accepting Christ's true doctrine. I'm sad though that the baptism that was scheduled to take place inbetween conference sessions got cancelled (due to family scheduling conflicts), that most certainly would have been a great spiritual experience for him to have the opportunity of attending.

Oh how I need the Lord's guidance in my life right now. I have so many important decisions to make in my life. I feel like I should be at one place in my life, and I find myself in another. That is mostly due to dumb choices on my part over the last few years of my life, years in which I did not let the Lord guide me. I pray that in these next upcoming months and years, that I can attune myself with the spirit and manage to let myself be led by my Father. For if I do that, I can not err. It will take some humbling, but I have faith that I can do it.

Intrigued

Alma 27:27

"And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end."

Well, this has certainly been quite the last ~24 hours. I'm very happy that things have turned out the way they have, for numerous reasons. I look forward to seeing how this develops, and also in seeing how I react to various situations that may (more like will) arise from this. I look forward to continuing to be the strong person that I have become, and by doing so I trust that I will become even stronger. The Lord will strengthen me as I keep him close to me, and I must realize that is paramount.

That reminds me of a thought I had a while back that I think I blogged about. But I am prompted to repeat it. One of the easiest ways to give the church a bad name is by breaking serious commandments around our peers (or anyone, really). By doing so, we make them question what members of our church really believe. It makes them start to ask themselves questions like: "Oh, those mormons say this and that, but they don't actually believe it. They're all talk and no walk. They must not take their relgion very seriously." Could you imagine the guilt you would feel if you knew that your actions caused a friend of yours to reject the gospel based on your bad example? I would tear myself apart!

On the flip side, one of the best ways to communicate the standards of the church to our peers is by not only believing in the truthfulness of the church, but by demonstrating it in our every day lives. By rejecting the offer to drink, or smoke, or tell raunchy jokes (or even entertain them), or by rejecting anything that our generation commonly finds acceptable, that is certainly not in concordance with the teachings of Christ's true church. Whether we like it or not, every member of the church is an ambassador for the church. We might just be the only member of the church that our friends know, and the entire means by which they have to gain (or lose) a desire to learn more about the church.

We must become like he whom we claim to follow: Christ.

lol

Alma 26:12

"Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."

What beautiful words. God truly is the real source of strength in life. Man certainly is strong, but add the Lord's strength to that, and there is literally nothing that is impossible to accomplish in life. Add that to the mix of following the Lord's will for your life, and it makes a sure foundation for the exaltation of any one caught up in the wonderful world of charity and righteousness. 

I'm looking forward to going to sleep tonight with a smile on my face.