followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 65]

Yesterday we had the traditional combined meeting with the three wards that meet in our church building. For the second and third hours the bishops and their wives answered questions that had been submitted. It was really nice, though one of the answers hit me a little wrong.

The question was, "What is an abundant life and how can I live one?" or something like that.

The answer was, "Get married and have a family, for only then will your life be abundant. So look forward to that time and do all you can so you can have that in your future."

Okay it wasn't exactly that, but ... pretty much.

And I sat there thinking, "But I want to live an abundant life now. Surely there's a way to be happy, full, and complete even before I'm married."

So I went home and looked up "abundant life" on lds.org. There are actually a number of talks about it! My favorite is by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, given in 2006.

According to Elder Wirthlin,

The abundant life is within our reach if only we will drink deeply of living water, fill our hearts with love, and create of our lives a masterpiece.

These are the characteristics that the happiest people have in common. If we do these things, our lives can transform from ordinary to exciting and full of abundance. (I do love the word abundant. It's round and happy.)

Of course, the problem with these three things--drinking of living water, filling our hearts with love, and creating masterpieces of our lives--is that they are not easy! Actually not sure that's a problem. I kind of think that may be the point. I know that my life only feels abundant when I am working hard at something that matters.

So I guess it's the end of the year. It has just struck me that perhaps I should make some goals for 2015, and that I should put them in these categories Elder Wirthlin has listed. I think that will make me a happier person and more able to bless others' lives.

And who knows. Perhaps my goal to live an abundant life by more deeply living the gospel, selflessly serving others, and doing something remarkable will lead to me living the kind of abundant life I learned about in church on Sunday.

But even if it doesn't, I think I'll be happy.

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 64]

On Sunday my friend and I performed a piano/organ duet of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." We sort of made it up on the spot (well, not the very spot) by printing off the first version we found and arranging it the day before.

There are seven verses to that song, but this version had only five. They were still somewhat obscure. For example, have you ever heard of this?

O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav'nly home
Make safe the way that leads on high
And close the path to misery.

Maybe you have. But I hadn't! I love the imagery of Him being a Key. He unlocked the gate of heaven to let us in. (Side note: the first thing I thought of when I saw this verse was this blog post, which I guess goes to show that I retain some things from week to week.)

The song is full of different titles for Christ: Emmanuel, rod of Jesse, Dayspring, Key of David, Lord. And to think that they were all wrapped up in that little baby.

This is very much a Second Coming-esque Christmas carol.

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight 

O come, Desire of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
O bid our sad divisions cease
And be yourself our King of Peace.

But I think it also has meaning for us in our everyday lives. If ever we feel that we are mourning in lonely exile, we can have hope that Emmanuel, that God is with us. The rod of Jesse has freed us from Satan's tyranny and given us victory over the grave.

Rejoice.

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 63]

It's no secret that "Silent Night" isn't exactly my favorite Christmas song. Part of it is definitely that no one understands it and we always sing it wrong, and part of it is that I'm not one of those people that never gets tired of singing it at every musical function.

We sang it in our ward Christmas program yesterday. We also sang it at the stake Christmas fireside last night. And we've sung it every week in some meeting or another. And I am so tired of it.

But last night, raising my voice with 250 members of my stake, I decided to have a better attitude. I was worried the stake president was going to ask me to bear my testimony (hazards of him knowing my name) and I didn't want to go up there with nothing to say because the Spirit had left me because I hate a beloved Christmas carol.

So I thought about our Christmas program and the scriptures we'd read. The one that came to mind was Alma 7:10-12.

And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.
And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

Around that time we sang the third verse of "Silent Night" and my mind echoed with "Son of God, love's pure light radiant[ly] beams from thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace"

And I thought, He was born to die. He was born to perform the Atonement, and the light of love shone from His face with the promise that His birth was the start. The dawn of a life that would redeem all of us through grace.

It was really nice to gain a new appreciation of this song. And the stake president didn't call on anyone, least of all me, which is good because I was already planning to write a blog post.

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 62]

Last week I mentioned that we celebrated the start of Advent by singing the Messiah, which does have songs about Christ being born, but it also has a lot of songs about Christ's death and resurrection.

It's a sad and happy thing to think of that baby, born to die, so He could live again -- so we all can. But that truly is why we celebrate Christmas.

And though it can be difficult to have hard times during the Christmas season, of all times, this too is symbolic of Christmas.

Elder Holland said (paraphrasing God),

You can’t separate Bethlehem from Gethsemane or the hasty flight into Egypt from the slow journey to the summit of Calvary. It’s of one piece. It’s a single plan…. Christmas is joyful not because it is a season or decade or lifetime without pain and privation, but precisely because life does hold those moments for us. And that baby, my son, my own beloved and Only Begotten Son in the flesh, born ‘away in a manger, [with] no crib for his bed,’ makes all the difference in the world, all the difference in time and eternity, all the difference everywhere, worlds without number, a lot farther than your eye can see. (x)

So when sadness encroaches upon our celebration, may we remember that the joy of Christ's birth, death, and resurrection swallow up all pain.

and the words, they're everything [09]

Today's WWIS compilation is brought to you by the fact that I think about love and dating all the time, and sometimes the status bot picks up on it. (Which is impressive, because online I try to pretend that it doesn't consume my life. I mean, of course it doesn't.)

What can I say, dating can be rough

'Sparking' was slang for courting back in pioneer times. I'm thinking of bringing it back, because that would be truly hip and cool.

Speaking of colloquialisms, I've been using "digging his chili" instead of "have a crush on him" for a few months now.

At least I know the address of one of my favorite fictional boyfriends, for when real life conspires to keep me from my true love. (Also: undergrads that are thinking of digging my chili, please note last sentence of the status.)

Eating on dates can be a little nerve-wracking, but I've got nothing to worry about. (ha.) Also my habit of bringing needles to most social occasions (especially sports): attractive for my craftiness or alarming because I have weapons to hand?

I asked a guy out a few weeks ago. First time. Guess I do just set myself up now. Someone's gotta do it.

If all else fails, I can always meet someone at the grocery store. In the bread aisle. I'm sure that will be totally romantic and not awkward at all. And can you say romcom-worthy?!

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 61]

Last night some friends and I celebrated the beginning of Advent by singing selections from the Messiah (do I italicize or quote, I don't know). It was a good time.

(x)

There's us! If you need help finding me, my roommate is wearing green in the upper left hand corner and I am sitting next to her. She makes it so easy! (I should've worn green too.)

It wasn't...my most dignified performance, however. We messed up somehow during one of the songs and I had a moment of panic that I would never be able to find out where the line was, and my response was to start laughing like a crazy person. I was laughing too hard to sing. Our song ended and we proceeded into the next piece and I was still laughing.

Remembering it later, I laughed through the entire closing prayer. I can't even remember the last time that happened.

But! Besides those two embarrassing moments, it was a great experience. I've been thinking about our final piece a little bit today. We sounded about this good:

11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power,be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. (Revelation 5:11-13)

I enjoyed singing it but I started to realize that I'm not sure I've ever felt to shout "Praise the Lamb forever" or similar. Why not?? He did this big thing for me! And for everyone! It's a big deal! Also He's God.

Not sure if I need to listen to this music more or change some of my attitudes, but I think I would like to sing that song and really truly mean it.

and the words, they're everything [08]

Today we have a very special Thanksgiving-themed WWIS post.

I'm grateful for my thoughtful earbuds.

I'm grateful for my thoughtful sister.

I'm grateful for my favorite book. Also this sounds like a sci-fi or near-future gadget. "With new silver sleeve, you can post right from your clothing!"

I'm grateful for the library where I could pick up my favorite book if I didn't already own it. I pick up pretty much every other book there.

I'm grateful for my phone that only does T9 texting (and that I am good at it). I'm also grateful that I don't stare into my own room all that much, even though you can see it from the living room, because I keep the door closed. Because I can't keep it clean.

I'm grateful for happy people, my nephew, and babies. All of them.

Well, that was enough gratitude. I'm out.

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 60]

The principle you're supposed to extract from D&C 57:7-13 is We should use our individual strengths to help build the Lord’s kingdom as He calls upon us to do so.

(Not the only principle, probably. But it's the one the manual suggests.)

Then we ponder: what are my strengths?

When discussing this with seminary students, it can be helpful to remind them: you are yet early in the process of fully realizing your strengths. In the next few years your full complement of strengths will become apparent to you.

(Although, since 'full complement' seems like it could be a little heavy for high schoolers, you might word it differently.)

But what about me? I'm a little bit past the "next few years" that I was supposed to discover my strengths. Am I stuck with what I've got?

I read a blog post by a friend (acquaintance? How much do you have to hang out with someone before they count as a friend?) about how she has realized that she has more to learn, but that where she is now is where she needs to be. She may have strengths she'll yet discover. But where she needs to be, she has the tools she needs.

I still remember a stake conference where one of the old men (can't remember his calling exactly) saying that in his patriarchal blessing he was blessed with an affinity for family history. Finally he was like 60 and realized that this strength hadn't come to him yet. So he started. And it was awesome.

So there's hope for all of us.

here it is the knock of your own heart that matters [Scripture Mastery Times: 1 Samuel 16:7]

 So. This scripture sometimes makes me uncomfortable.

But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.(1 Samuel 16:7)

The thought is great! It doesn't matter what we look like, whether we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are famous or forgotten (x). In such an appearance-based world, that kind of reassurance can be really comforting...

...unless you are really not sure what the Lord sees in your heart. Is there even anything there beneath the pride? Are any of my motives for doing good the right ones, or are they still rooted in self-consciousness, arrogance, lack of humility?

At least I look good.

I'm beginning to come to the conclusion that the cure for all this (having a prideful heart as well as worrying about having a prideful heart) is to develop a relationship with the Savior and with Heavenly Father. Even if my motives for beginning it are not the purest (for example, if I want the blessings of increased faith and reliance on the Atonement...because I totally want that), God can change my heart if I let Him. And I'll let Him when I trust Him.

So that's my work in progress. I'll let you know how it went in the next life.

the words, they're everything [07]

I'm actually really glad that this won't be my last installment of this series, because it's my favorite. It's easy and funny (funny to me at least, which is the important thing).

Let's get this party started!

Speaking of, this is an awesome party idea.

I bet if I had a smartphone it would love one of these cases.

Always nice to have a bit of poetry.

;) 

I do, truly, love it.

 See you next time!

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 59]

I am having a hard time working out my thoughts on various posts I'm working on, but I feel bad not having posted one of these in a while, so have one of these lovely graphics:

My roommate posted it on Facebook; can't find another source (maybe she made it! on her phone!), so let me know if you see one. I also just discovered the General Conference Pinterest so I should have some more graphics for you if my actual thoughts don't work out.

And don't forget that you're loved.

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 58]

A couple weeks ago I ended up taking the train with a girl in my ward whom I have always admired (to the point of being scared to talk to her, you know how it goes). As we spoke, she looked up at the sky and said, "Look! There's a sundog!"

source

"A few years ago," she told me, "I decided that my 'thing' in nature that when I saw it meant that God loved me would be a sundog."

"That's great," I replied. "Mine is little birds, and I saw some today too!"

"Wow, look, another sundog!" she exclaimed.

I probably said something awkward.

What later struck me about the conversation is she chose something that required her to look up. It is better to look up.

feel the echo electrify the resistance

I've had ten or so MRIs on my left thigh. It's kind of a lot. But this week I received the excellent news that, pending my surgeon's approval, I never have to have an MRI again! (Or a CT. I have no idea how many of those I've had, but they're generally less painless. Or, well, they were in the past. The new policy of having a machine inject me with contrast solution is another great reason to be happy I never have to have one again.)

My first MRI ever was on Friday the 13th, February 2009. It was notable not only because it was my first (and also they gave me my first Lortab so I could work through the pain long enough to stay still for it -- guess who overreacted emotionally the rest of the day?) but they also, for some reason, gave me the negatives. So I took them home and took pictures of them.

At least the issue was super obvious. Hint: That big white spot shouldn't be there.

Then I just...had a lot more scans done. Before all my surgeries, at the end of my treatment, every 3 months after, then every 6, then (before recommended but I have a hard time making an MRI a priority) annually. Until today! Never again!

Gotta tell ya, MRI technology has moved on a lot in the past five and a half years. When I went in yesterday the staff allowed me to choose a soothing video of fall colors that played on the ceiling while we got set up. Also the mood lighting was nice (it was fuchsia). The first couple years I went in there was no option to really listen to anything, but for a while I've been taking advantage of the option to watch a movie on magical metal-free goggles (last year I even remembered to bring in my own movie in case none of the options spoke to me, but I forgot this year). That's been especially nice ever since the rod in my leg has doubled the time I spend in the machine. Who gets to watch almost an entire movie while remaining completely motionless the whole time? I do! (Not anymore, though! Guys I am so thrilled about this.)

Had I known it was my last scan, I might've been a bit more effusive in my gratitude toward the staff, who are always awesome and answer my dumb questions and help me not be lost. I did thank them, though.

Maybe I would've taken more pictures (especially of the magical MRI room -- it's so lovely). I did end up taking one picture that I will show below, because I thought it was quite funny.

So, I had a bit of a break between my CT and my actual appointment at the clinic. I could've gone to the cafeteria for lunch but haha there was no way I was going into the cafeteria. Not spending money, not being assaulted by cafeteria smells that haunt me to this day. So I brought a bagel and some potato chips and went and sat by the piano on the 3rd floor.

Anyone can play the piano. A young man was doing some nice work on it when I first walked by, but then he left and I thought, "I can at least do that well." Unfortunately my left hand was not cooperating so it was a little embarrassing because you can hear the piano just about everywhere. Oh well, I'm sure everyone enjoyed it anyway. I also busted out about two measures of Taylor Swift at the end because I could. And I couldn't stop myself.

Then I walked by the bathroom, and the thing-from-nature they'd chosen as a watermark on the sign made me laugh, so I took a picture.

A praying mantis? I guess we should be glad enough it's not a black widow.

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 57]

I bet you have all been wondering about what our new Monthly Health Tip is. Well, it's about forgiveness.

Forgiveness, a Prescription for Health
Grudges and anger hurt our bodies by producing toxic levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol, and insulin.

• These lead to increased cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, gastric ulcers, headaches, depression, and strokes.
• They increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, allowing toxins into the brain; thus, memory and neurological functions are short-circuited.

With Forgiveness the Healing Begins

"If we can find forgiveness in our hearts for those who have caused us hurt and injury, we will rise to a higher level of self-esteem and well-being." James E. Faust, "The Healing Power of Forgiveness,"Ensign, May 2007, 68.

the words, they're everything [06]

Good news, everyone! I just succumbed to a moment of weakness and created a bunch more #wwis statuses so that when I run out of the posts I've already lined up I can just make more!

We were nearing the end of this saga, but I was probably a lot more accurate when I said this was never going to end.

Today let's do some more About Me statements.

I have a thing about my watch.

Wait, this isn't About Me.

That's more like it.

This is the most About Me thing ever.

I really love this one and its unintended accuracy.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 56]

I'm really not into the Harry Potter movies. A few years ago when either the 5th or 6th came out I was at a party and someone asked me if I'd gone.

"The only way I'm seeing that movie is on a date," I proclaimed. "Otherwise I'm just probably not going to."

They were surprised, and I have continued to surprise myself by pretty much never going to movies anymore. Unless on a date. (And I'm not going to go to a movie on a date now that Elder Scott has said it's a stupid idea!)

So when I decided I was going to go see Meet the Mormons it was kind of a humbling thing. I had to give up my pride to go to the theater (as a 5th wheel, mind you) and experience the big screen.

But I'm glad I did it. Meet the Mormons is a good show. I was engaged in the stories they told (man, I am so not into documentaries usually either) and I think I got the message it was supposed to convey: that being Mormon has shaped the lives of these people in a positive way. And it can shape my life in a positive way too.

If you haven't seen it, I recommend it.

And I ... will probably not go to another movie anytime soon.

call it any name you need

I'm a little disappointed that it's not feasible for me to watch the BYU v. USU game tonight (I'm sure we'll get the highlights, but it's not the same). I've been catching that show ever since I graduated from college. It's always a good time.

As I'm pondering football parties and football games, I think about the players whose names I actually know. Wait, I just remembered that I know the BYU quarterback too! He has a made-up name.

Anyway. Pretty much the only BYU players I know are Robertson Daniel and Jordan Leslie. Because their names spoke to me.

I think that if I had a last name that's really a first name like 'Daniel', I too would name all my children with last names as their given names. Like Robertson.

Also when I think about Jordan Leslie I'm reminded of that quote from Bridge to Terabithia. Jordan Leslie can go backward or forward, be a boy or a girl. If my last name were Leslie...

I would have to change my given name. Let's be honest.

Anyway, that's what I do when faced with the prospect of airports and long flights. I think about football player names.

how swiftly we choose it [Scripture Mastery Times: Joshua 24:15]

When I was in seminary, we would get awards at the end of the year if we memorized all the scripture mastery and read the books of study. I can't really remember what the awards were most years, but when we studied the Old Testament our prize was a little keychain with the acronym "CYTD" on it.

("CYTD" for "Choose Ye This Day")

I majorly, majorly wanted that keychain. I had to go out of my way to nag my teacher to make sure I met all the requirements, but it was worth it when I got that little thing in my hands. For a while I kept it on my scripture case, but eventually I grew up enough to need a set of keys, so onto my regular keychain it went. I loved it so much. I loved that it was a subtle reminder that the choice is mine, not only to serve the Lord, but to choose Him this day. ('Subtle' meaning that every hundred or so times I looked at it, I would remember to choose to serve the Lord. So it worked pretty well.)

Wish I could take a picture for you so you could understand the aesthetic I was into back then (bet I'd still be into it now), but unfortunately it fell off my keys one day and I've been sad ever since. Maybe I should get a vinyl.

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Portions of this scripture are quoted in General Conference all the time (at least once a year), I think because we need the reminder. We commit to serve the Lord when we make covenants, but to remember this day and always that we've made the commitment can be a little difficult to remember, especially with all the other things we can choose (in whose land we dwell). If only we had a keychain or something.

I discussed a different aspect of this scripture here (still happy about everything I was happy about in that post).

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 55]

Yesterday for our closing hymn in sacrament meeting we sang #157, "Thy Spirit, Lord, Has Stirred Our Souls."

And, I kind of love it? It was in my head the rest of the day.

The lyrics really spoke to me about how I feel when I'm really inspired by the Spirit:

1. Thy Spirit, Lord, has stirred our souls,
And by its inward shining glow
We see anew our sacred goals
And feel thy nearness here below.
No burning bush near Sinai
Could show thy presence, Lord, more nigh. 

2. "Did not our hearts within us burn?"
We know the Spirit's fire is here.
It makes our souls for service yearn;
It makes the path of duty clear.
Lord, may it prompt us, day by day,
In all we do, in all we say.

One time I really felt that this weekend (not that our testimony meeting was bad yesterday) was during the General Women's Meeting. I felt my soul for service yearn, saw anew my sacred goals. Maybe later (like next week or something) I'll talk about my takeaway messages from the meeting, but I need to check my notes again first. Just know that I really enjoyed it, and the Spirit whispered to me.

So way to go, person that chooses the hymns!

obey your law [Scripture Mastery Times: Exodus 20:3-17]

A few weeks ago I was home for FHE. We were discussing the chapter in Preach My Gospel about commandments. Guys, there are a lot of commandments we need to keep.

The Ten Commandments were their own section (even though there are ten of them). The manual says:

"The Ten Commandments are still valid today. They teach us how to worship and show reverence to God. They also teach us how to treat one another."

It's no surprise that these verses in Exodus are still part of required scripture mastery. These commandments sort of form the basis of society and civilization.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of thefathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lordblessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
12 ¶Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
13 Thou shalt not kill.
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15 Thou shalt not steal.
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

 I've been thinking about how following God's commands means we will be blessed. (And how not following them means we will be...not blessed. You follow?) In the Book of Mormon all over the place we read that "If ye keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land." I feel like that is a fair trade-off.

I also read something this morning about how sometimes our focus on keeping the commandments is so we can get to heaven (or so that we avoid going to hell), which, while that is part of it, I think that the best and most important reason to keep the commandments is because God asks us to, and we love Him. We have faith that He knows what is best for us, He wants us to grow and learn and treat others right, so He gave us commandments to help us along the way. Sometimes it's hard to remember that in the face of a long list of do's and don'ts, but ... we should try to remember.

and the words, they're everything [05]

It's back-to-school time! I guess last week was, more. And the week before that. Even late-starting seminary programs started at the beginning of the week, and now it's the end of the week.

But! The crispness is in the air and the homework is flying. That makes it a great time for a back-to-school edition of What-Would-I-Say!

The true point of education

Did I mention I'm kind of glad not to be in school? I'm a little glad.

And to finish up, here's a nice pattern that the bot came up with that I think all our students should aspire to:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 54]

This morning on the train I happened to read Elder Holland's 2012 CES Devotional, "Israel, Israel, God is Calling." I am pretty sure I hadn't reread it since I first heard it, so that was a nice way to spend a commute.

Then for our department devotional we happened to sing the hymn of the same name! I realized that I was probably supposed to learn something from this. Or at least share something about it.

Babylon is all around us, and it doesn't look like it's falling. God shall all their towers o'erthrow, but not just yet. So now the question is, canst we linger still in error's gloomy ways? I think we'd better not. There's no justification for vain delays in repentance and coming to Zion in our lives.

Here's a nice paragraph from Elder Holland's address that really spoke to me:

It is easy to be righteous when things are calm and life is good and everything is going smoothly. The test is when there is real trial or temptation, when there is pressure and fatigue, anger and fear, or the possibility of real transgression. Can we be faithful then? That is the question because “Israel, Israel, God is calling.” Such integrity is, of course, the majesty of “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”—right when forgiving and understanding and being generous about your crucifiers is the last thing that anyone less perfect than the Savior of the world would want to do. But we have to try; we have to wish to be strong. Whatever the situation or the provocation or the problem, no true disciple of Christ can “check his religion at the door.”

Have a good day.

kingdom - an inheritance you can't deny [Scripture Mastery Times: Exodus 19:5-6]

This is a new Scripture Mastery scripture. Not saying I'd spent a lot of time thinking about the old ones, but I had to spend a little more time with this one, trying to decide why we chose to add this one to the collection:

5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 19:5–6)

Luckily I don't have to figure everything out by myself. I checked out the Basic Doctrines page and it helped me know that the basic doctrine we learn about in these verses is Covenants.

Covenants are great. I'm sure I am not the only one that has noticed the major emphasis on keeping our covenants lately? Well, perhaps only women will notice because the true push has been in the Women's Meetings. (Not that men shouldn't get great benefit from watching and reading messages toward the women. And on that note...)

In 1971, Joseph Fielding Smith addressed the Priesthood Session at General Conference and said the following:

When we join the Church and receive the priesthood, we are expected to forsake many of the ways of the world and live as becometh saints. We are no longer to dress or speak or act or even think as others too often do. Many in the world use tea, coffee, tobacco, and liquor, and are involved in the use of drugs. Many profane and are vulgar and indecent, immoral and unclean in their lives, but all these things should be foreign to us. We are the saints of the Most High. We hold the holy priesthood. 

To ancient Israel, by the mouth of Moses, the Lord said: “… if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:“And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” (Ex. 19:5–6.)

This promise is ours also. If we will walk in paths of virtue and holiness, the Lord will pour out his blessings upon us to a degree we have never supposed possible. We shall be in very deed, as Peter expressed it, “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.” (1 Pet. 2:9.) And we will be peculiar because we will not be like other people who do not live up to these standards. ("Our Responsibilities as Priesthood Holders," General Conference April 1971)

(I would like to thank scriptures.byu.edu for having my back on finding quotations based on scripture references.)

I really like the imagery of a peculiar treasure of a people, a holy nation, a kingdom of priests that worthily bless the lives of others. It makes me think of a small, shining bright spot in a world surrounded by gloom. When we live virtuous lives and keep the commandments, we stand out in an excellent way.

(And in return, we receive all the blessings of being the Lord's covenant people, which are pretty awesome.)

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 53]

This morning my boss asked me the difference between sicknesses and infirmities as referred to in these verses:

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. (Alma 7:11-12)

His boss happened to be nearby and pointed out that the root word of infirmities is firm, which supported my argument that another word for infirmities could be weaknesses. If you're in-firm, you're not steady. You're weak. (Which can definitely be a result or symptom of sickness, but does not merely refer to being ill.)

Then I went on to say that it doesn't even necessarily mean physical weaknesses, but all those parts of us that are less than steady. Our bad habits, our personality flaws, all our deviations from the ideal can be infirmities. (The intern agreed with me [indirectly - she wasn't involved in this particular conversation], saying that as a perfectionist she knows so well how infirm she is and how what she needs to work on are unique to her -- unique to her and Christ through his Atonement.)

This ties in well with the idea of enabling grace. Christ's grace that enables us to act in power, to overcome our challenges both external and internal.

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. (Ether 12:27)

 All we need to do is come unto Christ. He will open our eyes to our infirmities and give us the strength to overcome.

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 52]

This past week I had some car trouble. A couple days in I was like, "Please don't make this be a gospel analogy" but it was.

So what happened is I started hearing a scraping noise at low speeds. Not all the time, though. Just sometimes. I figured I must've run over something (like a branch or some plastic) that got stuck under my car.

For a little while I thought I would wait to see if it removed itself.

Then, when the scraping continued, I checked under the car a few times. I did that for a while, reasoning that I couldn't see very well in the dark parking garage, or in the bright sunlight of evening when I got home. When conditions cooperated, I did a thorough check. But I couldn't find anything.

I even sort of looked at the brakes and other miscellaneous parts, but I didn't know what I was looking at. (By this point I had really given up hope that this wasn't a gospel analogy.)

Finally I determined that I had to take it in. And man, was it expensive. And preventable, if I'd paid more attention to my car. But at least all is well now (I hope).

Rest assured that I have taken this message to heart (the paying attention to my car message as well as the gospel analogy message), since it was definitely for me.

Sometimes we have problems in our lives that we are determined to figure out on our own. I can do almost anything, surely I can overcome this as well! But I can't always do everything on my own. (Especially since I tend to procrastinate until the time is 'right' to tackle the problem.)

Enter humility. I have to accept that this is not a problem I can solve. Then, enter the Atonement! Let the Professional handle this one.

And I shouldn't wait too long otherwise it'll cost more. That's unfortunate.

But, in the end, all will be well.

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 51]

Today is exactly a year from when I first began my Mormon Mondays. To celebrate, I just read through a year's worth (minus the times I used Scripture Mastery Times as my MM) of faith-promoting thoughts by me (though primarily by other people).

It has been really good for me to have this...responsibility, as it were. It gives me a reason to spend a little more time pondering the gospel. It's also been difficult, not least because I have a lot of friends that do a much better job at discussing and applying the gospel. That makes me almost not want to share my paltry thoughts (I mean, check out this blog, would ya? I like it a lot.)

I just realized it sounded like I'm quitting now that it's been a year, and I'm inadequate.

I'm not.

This is, however, a commitment to do better at these. I may be the only one that's noticed how long it's been since I posted on a Monday, and how often I just use Mormon Channel graphics (which I do like, but often feel like cop-outs if I don't have anything to say about them). I can do better.

(This is a stretch, but I figured I'd go ahead and use another Mormon Channel graphic to cement the deal so I need to make it fit, so...I am not defining myself by my transgressions, but I'm letting my past mistakes [and I'm not just talking my lackluster MMs here] guide my goals for the future. That's what God wants me to do, see?)

Well. We can surmise what God wants us to do with our lives, even though it's not specifically talking about what He would rather. So let's listen to the right people!

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 50]

Monday night I went over to my grandparents' house. I mentioned that I'm not much of a downtown SLC girl and my grandmother told me how much she used to love being downtown. When her mother was at UEA, her dad would take the kids to ZCMI and other places to play hide and seek, or just have fun downtown. She has happy memories there.

I don't really have anything to say about preparing for the future. I am trying to come up with a menu for an upcoming bridal shower, and figure out a time to make things, so that's as far into the future as I am preparing!

But boy did I do a great job living in the present on Monday! It's so easy with children (when they're pleasant) to just experience things with them. I spent several minutes at a puddle with my nephew, just splashing, watching the water slide up the concrete, discussing the dirtiness of the water. Sometimes in my day-to-day life it's hard for me to remember that every moment of my life is blessed if I will just see it. But I try.

(Not the Mormoniest MM I've ever posted. Not the Mormoniest thing President Monson has ever said, either.)

something keeps you faithful [Scripture Mastery Times: Genesis 39:9]

Last night I suddenly remembered that I went through a phase in my childhood where I would turn on "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" every night and sing/dance along to the whole CD. (Except for "Close Every Door." I usually skipped that one.)

Not only that, but I self-inserted like a pro. I settled on my favorite as Joseph's future girlfriend that followed him to Egypt (after I was so appalled by "One More Angel in Heaven" that I was like peace out, Canaanites and got myself to Egypt and Potiphar's household somehow) and was his secret support the whole show and I was so sympathetic and tried to get him not to be mean to his brothers (who, by the way, I had traveled to Canaan to get during the famine).

Pretty sure it ended with us getting married. And the Megamix was our reception party.

(My roommate was making fun of me for this story last night and I just had to say, "Listen, I am not ashamed of this. Plus I knew all the words to Joseph's Coat which was convenient for being a chorus member in our stake play.")

ANYWAY. Guess which character I totally hated? Potiphar's wife. Trying to steal my man? Not okay. (When I occasionally played as Benjamin's girlfriend and was more of a sister to Joseph, she was still bad news. Breaking of marriage contracts is a SERIOUS sin. I was so not on board with her agenda.)

In real life, or at least in the Bible, Joseph is a little more eloquent than in the play when rebuffing Potiphar's wife:

There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? (Genesis 39:9)

I've been thinking a little bit lately about why this is still a scripture mastery verse. The related Basic Doctrine is Commandments. And as far as commandments go, the one that Joseph is keeping in this verse is a big one: I'm a big proponent of fidelity. And chastity. And so is God.

I'm glad that we have this story and that Joseph was a good example of what to do when temptation comes (get out of there). It's a worthwhile scripture mastery.

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 49]

Here's our new Monthly Health Tip:

Benefits of Staying Hydrated:

• Helps prevent daytime fatigue and headaches
• Promotes a healthier digestive system
• Lubricates joints; cushions organs and tissues
• Improves skin; strengthens bones and teeth
• Helps in weight loss; reduces fluid retention

"As water is essential to sustain physical life, the Savior and his teachings (living water) are essential for eternal life." (Guide to the Scriptures, "Living Water"; scriptures.lds.org)

So drink up!

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 48]

Once again I would like to thank the Mormon Channel for coming up with graphics that I shamelessly use on my blog.


Things that are hard for me: trusting anybody. Let alone someone I've never met (in this life)! But on days like today, I just have to keep telling myself to put it all in the Lord's hands. He is someone to trust. Even if the outcome is not what I would have desired, He's got it covered. He's got everything covered.

And I'm working on truly believing that.

I can trace all my books [2014 pt.1]

I've gotten into a really, really bad habit lately. I check out more books than I can conceivably read, so I don't even read them all. I start them, and then often will say "Hey, this book is really good" and skip to the end.

(Sometimes I say, "This book is not keeping my interest" and skip to the end, but the result is the same.)

My new standard of whether a book is actually really good is when I actually read the whole thing (even if I skipped to the end first). I thought, since the year is half over, I'd share with you some of these books. Probably all of them. Which means this is going to be a long list.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Salt Lake County Library Services for introducing "Reading History" at the end of January so I wouldn't have to remember what I read. It's all there on the website for my perusal. However, when I summarize the book for you, I'll just be going off what I remember and not what the library says. More fun that way.

Here we go.

Red by Allison Cherry -- In a town where having red hair is key to everything, the main girl has a secret. She's also in high school. I have a soft spot for high school stories.

Across a Star-Swept sea by Diana Peterfruend -- It's a retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel and that should be enough. (Set in the same dystopian world as For Darkness Shows the Stars which I also loved.)

Slayers: Friends and Traitors by C.J. Hill -- dragons? Also teenagers. Teenagers are so great.

Women and the Priesthood: What One Mormon Woman Believes by Sheri Dew -- It was an excellent perspective.

I Will Lead You Along: The Life of Henry B. Eyring -- I had to check this book out twice in order to finish it, but it was so worth it to see how a man of God has lived his life.

Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel -- most of what I remember about this book was that I had it on hold for four months and was starting to think it was never coming (I was #1 in line). Also that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. Court intrigue and stuff.

The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen -- finishes up the trilogy begun in The False Prince.

The Vanishing Thief by Kate Parker -- It's a Victorian Bookshop mystery! I'm not sure I'll remember to ever check back later for sequels, but I did like this first one.

Cress by Marissa Meyer -- I really like the direction these are taking. It's a retelling of Rapunzel, sequel to Cinder and Scarlet.

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman -- He's a common soldier risen above his station due to heroism. She is heiress to the entire world, basically. When their spaceship crashes on an unknown world or something, they must figure things out.

Doon by Carey Corp & Lorie Langdon -- These two girls end up on Brigadoon and they have really hot guys chasing after them or something. I loved the review on the library website ("The main characters used a lot of slang words and were always talking about how 'gorgeous' these guys were. Would not recommend.")

Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando -- teenager stories are my weakness. These two girls end up being assigned as college roommates and strike up an email conversation to get to know each other before the school year. What a summer!

The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain -- Um, a son of Hades or something gets sent to the real world to pick up a "Persephone" but the one he's assigned is not going to come easily. Also some end-of-the-world plots probably.

Doomed by Tracy Deebs -- Okay first off her dad names her Pandora, then he tricks her into uploading a virus that basically destroys the world. Good going, dad.

Death Sworn by Leah Cypress -- This sorceress gets sent to the assassins (after her previous predecessors mysteriously disappeared). There's some plotty conspiracies and magic and stuff.

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins -- This girl ended up becoming some protector or something right before Cotillion. Protecting this guy that she's always had sparks with (the bad kind, totally the bad kind). I laughed out loud like 20 pages in.

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski -- The general's daughter bids more than she meant to on a slave, who is not the most slave-like slave ever. Do they fall in love? Does he totally ruin her life?

Dangerous by Shannon Hale -- teenagers + superheroes. Plus diversity, which is important. If you haven't read this book yet I don't know why.

The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty -- I only just read this (the library website goes by checkout date, and I renewed this a couple times). I loved it so much. Sometimes I skimmed a little of the world-building/philosophy stuff to get to the story, but when the third one comes out I will definitely read A Corner of White and this one again, slowly, to appreciate them. Um, this girl that lives in Cambridge notices a letter stuck in a parking meter. It's from a boy from The Kingdom of Cello, which is totally a different dimension! (Thats's the summary of the first book.) They each have major issues on their sides of the crack, which puts a strain on their developing friendship.

Deep Blue by Jennifer Connelly -- It is a Disney Hyperion book and it reads kind of like a movie. It is mermaids.

The House at Rose Creek by Jenny Proctor -- a Whitney award finalist for 2013, so I thought I'd check it out. This girl has a high-powered job but then she inherits her childhood home. And (spoiler) converts to Mormonism.

Mile 21 by Sarah Dunster -- a Whitney award finalist for 2013 (actually it might have won). She's at BYUI and a widow, but she has to live in approved housing and go to the singles ward.

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama -- The world is divided into people that live in the daytime, Rays, and those that must live in the nighttime, Smudges. Sol, a Smudge, is determined to kidnap her new niece, a Ray, so her grandfather can meet her before he dies. It doesn't go all that well (no thanks to a Ray boy who keeps saving her). This is my kind of book.

Also Known As by Robin Benway -- She is an international spy (a good guy spy) that on her first solo mission gets to go to high school for the first time. Her target: a really hot guy. Things happen. Probably even explosions. I have the sequel checked out right now but haven't read it yet. I have hopes for it, though.

Pivot Point by Kasie West -- Confession: I didn't read this one. This is one that I said "This is really good!" and skipped to the end and then said, "That was really good!" But you guys should read it. I think it won the Whitney Award for 2013 (at least it was a finalist). This girl lives in a place where they have certain abilities. Hers is to live out two diverging timelines from one choice, to see what happens. (Then she comes back to 'the present' and makes her choice based on what she learned in her 'future-seeing'.)

Oh, I guess that's it. The other ten or so books on my reading history I haven't quite read yet. I'll have to hit them at the end of the year.

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 47]

My ward is so big on family history right now. For our fifth Sunday discussion we were challenged to start reading family histories, looking up ancestors, etc. Since I just happened to have my grandfather's personal history (that he personally invited me to read, um, a while ago) I picked it up that day.

(My dad is described as having "limpid intelligence" which takes a lot of visualizing. An aunt that shall not be named is surely thrilled to go down in history as "somewhat peevish as an infant.")

Then we had a ward activity yesterday at the Salt Lake Cemetery. We met some people's ancestors and other famous Church history people buried there. Here's a quote that stuck out to me:

Each of us will be greatly blessed if we know the stories of faith and sacrifice that led our forefathers to join the Lord’s Church (William R. Walker, "Live True to the Faith," General Conference April 2014)

So I poked around on FamilySearch a little bit to find some ancestors that joined the Church. I found one really interesting story so far and I am sure there are more.

All in all, reading Granddaddy's personal history and some other ancestors has been a nice experience. I'm trying to collect some other histories and documents so I can know better what came before.

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 46]

Last night I was feeling kind of sad about the news, so I prayed if I should have the priesthood. (Was that too much of a non-sequitur? It made sense when it was late.)

It took me almost no time to realize I was asking the wrong question. What I need to be asking is, "How can I best build the kingdom of God?" And for me, the answer is definitely not by getting the priesthood. In fact, there is so much God would have me do to serve that I don't think I would ever have time to say, "All right, I've reached the extent of my usefulness. In order to continue I must be ordained." I'm not saying that no woman could feel that way, but that for me it is so far from my needs and wants at this time.

That's just how I feel. Trying to reach a place that I can see.

and the words, they're everything [04]

Twitter changed its layout since last I got around to posting some of my favorite bot-generated statuses, which is a disappointment in screenshot consistency. But I don't even care. Robots are still hilarious (when they're helped out by me).

Sometimes there got to be real patterns in what was generated:

And I can never resist extremely esoteric popular culture references:

Chances are I'm going to have fun with this forever.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3