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.