Fall

Lately I have had many things on my mind and have had a lot of experiences that have taught me. A few important reinforcing principles include: how much I care about my family, the need for humility, a greater desire for service, and how fascinating people can be when you really get to know them.

Last Sunday I was able to talk to both my parents that live in Salem, my brother in Illinois, my older sister in Eugene, and got to see my Grandma and little sister. Everyone is so busy that its usually random when I get different members of my family. When I realized that I was able to talk to everyone in one day I truly noticed how much them mean to me! I also realized that talking to them is one of my favorite things to do.

Something else that has been on my mind is the desire to live with more passion. I feel that this is a quality I truly admire in others. I have seen people be passionate about many things and the greatest of all causes, I feel, is the desire to come closer to Christ. And to bring others closer to Christ as well. I end my blog with a clip from Elder Eyring (an Apostle from my Church). He speaks on being more committed in serving the Lord and this is my hope that by writing this that someone will feel a deeper desire to do so.

If you are looking to be inspired...

I loved this video! I have always been fascinated with Mt. Everest and this is the ultimate climb! If you have an hour to spare and are in the documentary sort of mood, watch this and you will come away amazed and full of the desire to do the impossible. 

The url is  http://www.hulu.com/watch/62683/farther-than-the-eye-can-see

Joyous Easter!

"Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him- Saying; "Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified." Doctrine and Covenants 43:3-16  

Yesterday I had the privilege to go to an Easter Conference held at BYU. A couple of speakers spoke on the life of Christ and focused mainly on his death and resurrection. This really helped me to remember the significance of Easter and burn into my mind how grateful I should be. Latter in the day I went to watch my nephews hunt for eggs, and do some hunting for myself. I love being with my family and holidays are a great time to remember traditions and memories. From an early age I was taught about Jesus Christ and looked forward to easter. 

On this beautiful Easter morning I reflect on the phrase, "He is not here, He is Risen!" Angles declared his birth with great rejoicing and likewise angles declared that he had conquered the bands of death. I know that Jesus Christ suffered for each of us. He has the power to heal, no matter what it is in our lives that need fixing, he has the power to heal. He made it possible for us to repent our sins and to heal spiritually, He can also heal us physically, mentally and emotionally.  He is the only begotten of the Father and only doest he will of the Father. The Holy Ghost testifies of him. I know from the Holy Ghost that the Savior died on the cross and rose on the third day. He fulfilled every prophesy and was indeed the awaited Messiah. He will come again and rule on the Earth for a thousand years. I know that we can come closer to God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and feel the presence of the Holy Ghost more in our lives. 

Most people are familiar with the story of Moses parting the red sea, there is so much to learn from this story. The children of Israel were held captive in Egypt. God spoke to Moses on mount Sinai and chose him to be a prophet. Moses then received power from God to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses received revelation from God and taught the 10 commandments to the people. Moses also prophesied of the coming of Jesus Christ. So you already knew this... The first thing I want to point out is that it is God's pattern to call Prophets - Moses, Abraham, Daniel, Jacob, Isaiah,  and Peter. In the example of Moses, God didn't speak to each individual on what the church should do, rather God chose a Prophet to lead his church. What really matters is that we have a prophet on the earth today. On my mission there were many people that would question me when I said this. One objection was that revelation doesn't happen anymore. To this I say that God doesn't change and will not change. When people actively seek God he answers. I would also like to point out that every time someone creates something good in life the inspiration comes from God such as a work of art or the internet. I want to make it clear that with all the distractions and evil in the world we need a prophet today more than ever. Many people are hesitant when someone claims they are a prophet because many have done so. So how can we know if someone is a true prophet? In Matthew 7: 15-20 Jesus Christ teaches us how to know, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." Therefore we can know by their fruits. We can also know through prayer.

This weekend I have been watching General Conference. General Conference is when the leaders of the Church speak to all the members in the world. It is broadcasted to all the churches by satellite. I know that God does have Thomas S. Monson is a prophet on the earth today. Doctrine and Covenants 1:38-39 teaches, "What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same. For behold, and lo, the Lord is God, and the Spirit bareth record, and the record is true, and the truth abideth forever and ever. Amen." The Prophet speaks what the Lord would speak. I invite you to read a talk given by President Monson in April 2007 General Conference. This talk was one of my favorites, its all about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This will help our minds be focused on Christ around Easter this year.  I Know That My Redeemer Lives!         

President Monson

Dactrine and Covenants 25:10-13
10 And verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better.
11 And it shall be given thee, also, to make a selection of sacred hymns, as it shall be given thee, which is pleasing unto me, to be had in my church.
12 For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.
13 Wherefore, lift up thy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made.

I have always had a great lover for music. I must attribute this to my childhood. There was always music playing – either my Dad was playing the piano or working on a song in his studio or siblings practicing instruments. I learned the trumpet but didn’t enjoy it. I was always prone to sing and that’s what I do. The scripture above is so interesting because we can see that music if done in the right way is a prayer unto God. Music is a form of worship and praise. I know that music has power to it. Movies are the best example that comes to my mind. Music can move us to tears or add to suspense and can even tell a story in and of itself. So how do we let music effect us? When I was about fourteen I got into the whole downloading free music scene. I had hundreds of mp3’s and I loved to find new music. The type of music really altered my mood, emotions, and the things I thought about. I didn’t realize those things till much later. A great changing point came when I was watching General Conference. I felt this strong feeling that I needed to delete all my music. My first reaction was – there’s no way! I love that stuff! But as I kept listening to conference I knew I needed to. So when I got home I deleted all that music from the computer and spent a long time without any set music for recreation. This brings up another good point. I feel there is a lot of good music out there. I think that it’s perfectly fine and probably healthy to have fun music that is sole to entertain. I also feel that it is so easy to cross the line into music that distracts us from feeling the spirit of God. I have really been thinking about this topic because I spent most of my day on Saturday getting music together for a dance. It was mainly hip-hop and the music was great for a lively and fun dance. I was so immersed in that music that I couldn’t get songs out of my head and it was multiple ones so my mind felt so cluttered. On Sunday I took a lot of time to ponder in the morning and really asses things in my life. I was moved by the sacrament hymn we sung and I felt the reassurance once again that Christ did Atone for my sins and the sins of the entire world. So today I found myself listening to music on my ipod and I found that I was more selective in my choice of music. Maybe you will too.

Collected thoughts

I was able to go to the Draper Temple Dedication this last Sunday and I wanted to express that I know the temple is the house of God. As it says in Doctrine and Covenants Section 109:8, "a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of God." 

I want to share a couple of other things that have stood out to me recently. They may not have any coherent link but rather important principles. 

1. A friend asked me if my mouth ever hurts from Ismiling too much, it was a random thing said without thought but it made me think - sure i have had those moments but at the same time I can smile more...

2. Ether 2:16, the Lord is speaking to the Brother of Jared and tells him to build barges, the exact words are "Go to work and build, after the manner of barges which ye have hitherto built. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did go to work". I really like that phrase, its also interesting to note that later the Lord didn't tell him how to light the barges but rather Jared took an idea to the Lord. 

3. Here are a couple of quotes fr Personally, I am enthusiastic about the future. You can be too. You are living in the most exciting period of time in history. Many reasons could be cited for that optimism. Yet your greatest source of hope and assurance is that you have the fulness of the teachings of the Master. They will show you how to live a good life. You can receive ordinances and covenants that when righteously lived assure true happiness and significant attainment.

Life is beautiful when you make the effort to find beauty in it. In some of the most materially deprived parts of the world, I have seen the sunrise in all of its splendor and heard birds joyously welcoming a new day. I have seen beauty reflected in a small pot of flowers by a humble shelter or in the shy, beaming grin of a child at play, intent on discovering the world around him.

You can become depressed if all of your interests are focused on the media with its explicit details of the most worrisome world events. With care you can find much to reverently appreciate in this world Father in Heaven has given you. Begin by remembering that you are a son or daughter of God with divine potential. He will help you have a joyful, fulfilling life. om "The Power of Righteousness" by Elder Richard G. Scott, in the November 1998 Ensign - 

4. Attitude is Everything. It almost sounds cliche, and certainly maybe too definite. However, I have felt more and more strongly about the importance of attitude. 

5. I recently read again one of my favorite scriptures, "Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory!" Doctrine and Covenants 128:22 - Joseph Smith is writing the saints about temple work, this can also apply to our lives in many ways. 

Worship

"I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, and know what to worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness." Doctrine and Covenants 93:19

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him." Doctrine and Covenants 59:5

I feel that I am guided to know what to say in these blogs. I sat down on this Saturday morning to read my scriptures and a thought popped into my head that I should write my blog. My next thought was - I have no idea what to write on so i kind of dismissed it. I opened my scriptures and read the scripture at the top of this blog and I felt I should write about worship. This has become an interesting subject for me. I think there's almost a stigma associated with worship of bowing down to an idol or something weird, but i think its different than that. We do bow down and pray to God and every knee will bow and confess Jesus is the Christ. I also feel that worship is an attitude with a sense of commitment and action. We go to church to worship God together and to help each other. At the same time, I have no idea of the person next to me is worshipping because its an inward thing. LDS.org under gospel topics explains, "To worship God is to give Him our love, reverence, service, and devotion. Worship not only shows our love for God and commitment to Him, it gives us strength to keep His commandments. Through worship we grow in knowledge and faithfulness. If we place any person or thing above the love of God, we worship that thing or person. This is called idolatry." Alma34:38 says to worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth. I feel this is what I truly need to work on and I desire to worship God all my days.

"Along your pathway of life you will observe 

that you are not the only traveler. 

There are others who need your help. 

There are feet to steady, 

hands to grasp, 

minds to encourage, 

hearts to inspire, 

and souls to save." 

-President Monson

Over the past week I have thought a lot about the importance of peace and harmony in the world, on a general level but also in our relationships. I gave the a lesson in church today on this topic and I feel that I have learned a lot. I remember in high school when I was bugged by people a lot and I had a negative outlook towards people. I couldn't understand why people did dumb things and it was easy to get frustrated. Not that I was extremely hurtful or anything, I promise... My attitude changed and I don't remember why but I am grateful that it didn't last long. Christ says blessed are the peacemakers. I know that there are many people in my life that have demonstrated this. There are so many people out there and so many points of view and that how its suppose to be but at the same time this leads into many conflicts. It can be challenging to be the peacemaker yet well worth it. I think in our everyday relationships we should do those things that bring us closer to each other. Its so easy to tare people down rather than build people up. I have a strong desire to build people up. I asked the class how do we get to where we build people up? and I was impressed with a guy who commented that it all starts with what we think, then it will go to our words, and then to our actions. I am very familiar with this natural process of thoughts, words, actions - however I had never applied that to this concept. I was also impressed by a story about Joseph Smith. There were a group of men that came to his house with the intentions of killing him. Joseph calmly talked to them and was himself. Joseph rose to leave and the men wouldn't let him leave without being his escort because it wasn't safe out there. The told each other that they felt different than they ever had when they shook his hand and knew that they would never hurt him when he spoke to them. This was a great example of how to deal with persecution. 

If we love God and are trying to be like Christ than we will start to feel charity to our fellow men. We will start to serve them, stop criticizing, and we will enjoy our lives more. I read an article today that 4 people were shot in a baptist church in Illinois and one person died. After Studying for this lesson I just couldn't believe that this happened. There is so much bad in the world and people are gong through so much, now is the time to start loving our neighbors! The following scripture from the Doctrine and Covenants speaks on how Government can help to establish peace:

  2 We believe that no government can exist in ^apeace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the ^bfree exercise of ^cconscience, the right and control of property, and the^dprotection of life.

  3 We believe that all governments necessarily require ^acivil ^bofficers and magistrates to enforce the laws of the same; and that such as will administer the law in equity and justice should be sought for and upheld by the voice of the people if a republic, or the will of the sovereign.

  4 We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are amenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of ^aworship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish ^bguilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul.

-Doc134

99 Internet Hits

GREG RUTTER'S DEFINITIVE LIST OF 

THE 99 THINGS YOU SHOULD HAVE 

ALREADY EXPERIENCED ON THE 

INTERNET UNLESS YOU'RE A 

LOSER OR OLD OR SOMETHING

http://www.youshouldhaveseenthis.com/

This is an interesting list.....

Check these out if you want, though beware that

another site said not to check the ones at the 

bottom because the NSFW means not suitable

for work - that means never suitable, 

I haven't seen them and don't plan on it.

 

 "And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness 

shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth

 shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more."

 Doctrine and Covenants 78:19 

Today before my eight o'clock class I went to the BYU library to get a biology assignment done. I hopped on one of the many computers and finished my assignment quickly. I then decided to print off a study guide for my Humanities class. It was something I do everyday and therefore it has become routine for me. However, today I had the thought pop into my head - I am able to access my email anywhere and type some thing so fast, thats Amazing! I pondered how I seem to just take modern technology for granted. I suddenly found myself deeply grateful for computers, the internet, and how I am so fortunate to use them. Then this gratitude started to flow into other areas of my life. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father. I am grateful for an awesome family! I am blessed to live in this day and age. I am grateful for my talents and for my friends. I am grateful for the ability to be learning at a University. I am grateful that I can eat everyday and have a place to live. I pondered for a long time about the modern conveniences such running water and electricity, cars and microwaves! I could continue all day about all the spectacular things that I have simply become used to. 

"Wherefore lift up thy heart and rejoice, 

and cleave unto the covenants

 which thou hast made." Doc 25:13

I think it's a little easier to rejoice when we remember all the blessings we have in our lives. I am also grateful for trials, challenges, and work. We cannot have joy if we don't have sorrow and misery. Yet, I think it is so easy to focus on the negative. Thus, I have been trying to smile more and enjoy the little things. I babysat for my Brother and Sister in law tonight and I really enjoyed seeing my nephews happy. The usual drama occurred but I was able to enjoy a little bit more deeply being with them because I want to. Life is a lot about attitude. I hope to have an attitude of gratitude because then I will be looking for the positive. 

I have been doing a blog every week for my Doctrine and Covenants class and I really enjoy it because I get to think and write about religious things. However, it has been while since I have posted other things... So I thought that I could celebrate the fact that the Lakers have the best record in the NBA!! Anyone that knows me, knows that I love to play basketball and that I love the lakers. Now, I have posted a lot of religious pictures lately so don't think that I hold kobe to the same importance as those pictures, ok. Also, BYU plays Utah in basketball this saturday and I can't wait. It should be a chance to get some revenge and also if BYU wins then they will make it into the 64 tournament automatically. 

"Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God 

shall lead thee by the hand, 

and give thee answers to thy prayers."

-Doctrine and Covenants 112:10

In the past week I have truly been humbled and gone through some large changes. Its almost ironic that I wrote last week on trials but yet it reminded me of the greater perspective. I know that the scripture above is true, I have never received and an answer to prayer unless I have been humble. I also know that God answers prayers. The answers don't always come when we want them and they aren't always what we want. He does answer though. My mothers famous line is that when you feel like you haven't received an answer that in and of itself is an answer. Sometimes we haven't been doing the right things long enough and other times we need to use our own best judgment and learn how to make wise decisions. Answers come more as Yes or No rather than specifics such as - in your life you need to be a school teacher. Often times I feel a great peace when I pray. Peace is the one thing that Satan cannot imitate. I love to express gratitude to God and to apply Christ's atonement (or suffering) in my life. I can ask for forgiveness and needed strength because Christ has gone through everything and has the ability to help. I have heard critics say that prayer and religion are a crutch for the weak and I would like to make it very clear that a man is never more powerful than when he is on his knees. The power of God is real. I have felt this power and received answers to my prayers. 

I love the scripture given to Oliver Cowdery, he had already received an answer from God but latter asked Joseph Smith to receive a revelation for him, God spoke these words to Joseph Smith"...I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? what greater witness can you have than from God?"- Doctrine and Covenants 6:22-23 The Lord comforts Oliver by referencing the experience that only Oliver and God knew about. God really does love us individually and he hears each and every prayer. He knows past, present, and the future and therefore he knows what is best for our lives. As we seek to do his will we feel all the blessings he already wants to give us. It is not an easy thing to do his will and often times we will have to use our own agency. All of this is an ongoing process that helps us to become more like him. 

Recently I have felt the power of prayer and thought much about prayer and the great impact it has had on my life. I cannot even imagine not being able to talk to my Father in Heaven that I love. 

Joseph Smith at the age of 14 had pure faith when he prayed. The video below describes his experience when he prayed. Though our answers are not of the same magnitude, his experience still shows that God and Jesus is real and they do answer prayers.

 

TRIALS

C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity writes, "Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is he up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of — throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but he is building up a palace. He intends to come and live in it himself."

I felt I should include this quote for someone today but I don't know who. 

Not all trials come from God or because we did anything wrong. I am starting to realize more and more that everyday brings new challenges. I am starting to enjoy them. Sure there are times when I would love a break from different trials but really there isn't going to be rest. This concept has taken me years to swallow! Can't I just be content for awhile, I mean I am doing good things and I'm a good person so I deserve to have it a little easy for a while, right? Though this is an over simplification and not always my desires, I think at the same time we all question trials or at lest hope to have a little less. Yet be can benefit immensely from these experiences. My dad always used to say at the right times, "it builds character." I have been thinking about this a lot lately! What kind of character do I want, I want to be like the Savior. The Savior traveled in his ministry for 3 years. He bore persecution, false accusations, trial, torture, agonizing death on the cross, betrayal, suffering for all mankind for their sins but also emotionally, physically, and mentally. The more I think about him the more I realize that it wasn't easy for him and I can expect it wont be easy for me and mine are nothing in comparison. Trials are real, they suck, they are intense, they can change our future, they are in every sense undesirable. I emphasis this before I make my next point - This phrase has stuck with me, "when you come to an obstacle in the road it can either become a stumbling block or a stepping stone." The phrase use to bother me, and I think because in some sense it doesn't validate how difficult trials can be. I think rather than a stepping stone its more like a mountain or a cliff that we must rock clime. As we are grasping and precariously finding out next footing we are developing muscles along the way. We also have divine help! Someone to support us when we fall. As we have studied the the Doctrine and Covenants it is very clear that Joseph Smith endured many trials. He was falsely accused and was in liberty jail (most ironic name for a jail), the saints were being driven from Missouri. The lord spoke to Joseph and said, "My Son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high" (Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-8) I love these verses. I think that God always wants us to be at peace. WIll we though? No, and we need to learn and have our comfort zones stretch. I know that I am a better person because of the challenges and experiences in my life. I look to God with faith as I endure well the future trials of my life. To all those that are overwhelmed - feel the peace and joy that God is willing to give. 

"And now, after the many testimonies which 

have been given of him, this is the testiomony, 

last of all, which we give of him; That he lives!

For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; 

and we heard the voice bearing record that 

he is the Only Begotten of the Father-"

Doctrine and Covenants76:22-23

Yesterday, I was having one of those "bad days" (hat to use that term because its almost cliche). The rain got me nice and wet bright and early in the morning as I went to calculus. I was in extra studious mode for my economics test. I found myself in a bad mood and I don't usually get in those. I went to a computer lab to start studying and I logged and pulled up the internet and went to lds.org out of the blue. I looked at the picture that i included above and just thought of the Savior. It was a great moment. I felt that I should read my scriptures and as I did I again was led to notes that I had taken on my phone from a talk by Thomas S. Monson (President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). In his talk he talked about how most times in life you will be required to put in great effort and even an extra effort. I felt that this was very pertinent to me at that very moment. I didn't feel like studying but I put the extra effort. It is amazing to me how God helps me in my day to day life!

Going back to when I was looking at the picture of the Savior - I thought about all he did for us. I know that he is the Savior of all mankind. Doctrine and Covenants20:17-24 specifically tell how God has given all men commandments to love and serve him. However, we sin and this is why we need the savior. Christ suffered temptations, was crucified, and rose again the third day. He ascended into heaven to reign with almighty power according to the will of the Father. The first step for all of us is to have the desire to believe. Then as we live as he did we can continue to build upon this belief. I feel a little stronger because I thought about the Saviors life as I saw that picture. I realize that I need to take more time to ponder about Christ.

Student's life of Study: College and Faith

This is a picture of campus during the winter at Brigham Young University where I am currently attending. The semester is a month in now; therefore, all my teachers decided to give midterms early at the same exact time! I had a take home test and Presentation for Biology, Doctrine and Covenants essays, Humanities test and paper, and the dreaded Calculus test. Luckily, I get to take my Economic midterm in a week. This past week seemed so packed with things to do and I started to feel the a little stress as I allocated my precious time to different activities. I know this isn't new for me or any student but I learned a lot from this past week. First, its alright to have some fun. I went to my nephew's birthday party and enjoyed the liveliness of youth and the love of family. I also took Stephanie ice skating in Salt Lake and not only was it romantic - it was a blast. Don't get me wrong, I didn't play all weekend. I worked my tail off. I don't even think I have a tail anymore. Life just seems to be this constant battle for balance. I sure hope I can figure it out...

During this crazy midterm week of studying I a have thought a lot about study in general and how it applies to academics and religion. I was reading Doctrine and Covenants Section 109 this week and this is the text of the dedication of the Kirtland Temple (picture in last weeks blog). I love verse 7: "and all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by faith;" As I read this I felt again the importance of studying in college. I know that all I am learning is making me better, even though memorizing greek art doesn't seem all that pertinent. To continue in verse 8: "Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God." Even though these words are directed to the Kirtland Temple, this is what I am striving for in my apartment. This is what I want my future home to be! Another though has been on my mind regarding the importance of obtaining knowledge. I know that there are absolute truths in the world. Many people however don't feel this way and I respect their believes. I have come to know that there is a God. This started as faith and grew till I knew. My desire is to continue to learn truth as I study about the world around us and as I learn spiritually. The scriptures teach that we will not take our earthly possessions with us. He do know that we can be with our families for eternity. We also know that we will be able to take the intelligence (knowledge) that we have gained, D&C130:18-19. This puts a greater perspective on the importance of learning. To myself and to all those students out there - Hang in there! 

Why did you serve a mission?

I served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Before I left and when I came home I have often been asked "why are you going?", "what will you do?", "is it really two years?". Recently I have been thinking a lot about the time I served and I felt I could answer these questions a little more clearly. 

As a missionary I was a witness of Jesus Christ. I testified to all people that Jesus did in fact live. That he died and that he rose again. Missionaries are called to serve. We serve God by serving others. Missionaries teach about Jesus Christ and about how to return to live with God again as families. The gospel of Jesus Christ helps to us to improve our lives and we do so we feel true peace and joy. 

I wanted to serve a mission because I wanted to other people to have the blessings that I have seen in my life. I wanted to go and share what I know to be true. I knew that there are so many people looking for truth but don't know where to find it. Erin was one of the first people I ever taught. She had a lot going on in her life and one night she was crying and praying to God to know what was true. She didn't feel she got an answer that night but the next day she saw two missionaries walking down the street and she knew that they were the answer from God. She yelled for them to come and teach her. She changed her life and I was able to see her make the decision to serve God the rest of her life by being baptized. I saw others give up addicting habits. I saw others stand strong even though everyone around them opposed their learning about the Church. I saw people smile as the learned they could be forgiven. I heard and felt the sincerity and humility as people prayed for the first time. I saw experienced Christians receive long awaited answers. Karen and Ashley Fink (third picture bellow) joined the church right before I went to Toledo. They had both been to many different churches and were looking for truth. The missionaries knocked on their door and they felt they should let them in. Karen loved being taught and wanted to learn more and more. After going to church a couple times she knew it was true. 

From June 2006 to June 2008 I went to the Ohio Cleveland Mission. There are 50,000 missionaries serving 350 missions (broad geographic areas) throughout the world . The Ohio Cleveland Mission covered the northern third of Ohio. I spent 7 months in downtown Cleveland, 4 and a half months in Painesville, 4 and a half months in St. Mary's, 6 months in Akron, and 4 and a half months in Toledo. My friends have often asked if I wanted to go to some foreign country. Honestly, I loved Ohio. The early members of the Church (1831-1838) gathered in Ohio. As a missionary it was a privilege to serve where early missionaries served and to be around historic sites. The picture above is of the Kirtland Temple. The early saints were impoverished but still sacrificed immensely to build a house unto the lord, the Kirtland Temple. The Newel K. Whitney and Company Store was the center place of historic Kirtland. Those that visit hear an account of John Murdock of the savior Jesus Christ appearing to a group of men in an upper room of the store. John Murdock shares that he was filled with love for months afterwords. These early members had great faith and I truly look up to them. Two years may seem like a long time but they went really quick. There were long days too, we dedicate all of our time to serving those two years. So, from 6:30 am to 10:30 pm we are serving. At times it was tiring and hard but at the same time I felt God's help. I loved serving God as a missionary. 

"Let them go two by two, and thus let them preach by the way in every congregation, baptizing by water, and the laying on of the hands by the water's side." - Doctrine and Covenants 52:10

Crazy Christmas!

It sure was Christmas with the Fletchers! It was full of events that will never be forgotten. Some included an ice storm, losing power, sleeping on couches, putting lights up, setting up my dad's new TV, Julie's bday party, being sick, shopping all day, watching the kiddies open Christmas gifts, and being with my awesome family!!! Now that some time has passed from the not so pleasant moments, I reflect and long to go through them again. I long to be with everyone again and get some time to relax and maybe have some deep talks with everyone and tell them how much they mean to me! I also really enjoyed my time in Ohio with Stephanie and their family! They made me feel so welcome, and i loved playing guitar hero and mario cart with everyone. I wish I could spend more time there too. Yet its back to school, I love to learn but at the same time I wish it could always be Christmas. Enjoy the pics.