38 - They Would Not Do That

I don't know how many people actually read my blog. I don't know how many of you share my faith.

I'm a very accepting person. I have many friends who are good people making bad choices. And I love them anyway. I don't like to put people in awkward situations, but I'm not afraid to tell them what I know. When I see or hear my friends denouncing what I believe, calling it blasphemy and lies, I don't shout or try to prove them wrong. Shouting never got anyone anywhere. And making people feel bad never did anyone any good. But I am not afraid to tell them what I know. Watching my friends willingly put themselves in situations that will cause them harm hurts me like I cannot describe. I hate judging people, and I hate shunning people. I hate holding grudges and I hate being angry. I hate the feeling that I get when someone that I know, someone that I like, someone who is my friend, unconsciously hurts me by attacking the core of my faith. When, honestly, they don't know anything about it. Because the people that do know about it and choose another way at least have the courtesy to respect me and to respect what I believe. Going out of your way to let me know that you think the book I consider scripture is false, and the church I belong to is a cult, is just as bad as me going out of my way to tell you that you're a sinner who's going to hell and that God has damned your soul. And if you know me, you know that I would never say that to anyone.

Having said that, this is the most powerful talk given on the Book of Mormon that I have ever seen or heard. It brought me to tears. And I truly know that it's true.

35 - Breathtaking

You know when you have those moments?
The ones after those days that you just kind of feel like... bleh.
Not crappy, necessarily, but average. Normal. Like nothing new or exciting happened that day, or your routine is getting monotonous, or even though you have a really great life things just aren't working for you.
The moments that happen right when you think you couldn't be more... mediocre.
The moments when you see something that makes you realize the beauty in the world again. The blessings of your life. The moments when you realize that things are looking up.

I had one of those today.

I had an average day. It's Tuesday, so I only have one class. English 2010. It was good, I guess, just normal. Then I studied for my biology test next week, watched some TV, and got some dinner before Institute. That was also good, we had a good discussion on parables and being judgmental. Cole couldn't come because he took his friend to the ER that day and got really behind on homework because of it. As I was walking out of the Institute building, I looked around me. Grey clouds almost everywhere.

Except where the sun was setting.

It literally took my breath away. The pinks and oranges and purples all blended together to form a perfect corner of serenity and beauty in the middle of all the average grey skies.

I'm not usually one to stop and stare at a scene in nature, I'm ashamed to say. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the beauty and all, but it never really caught my interest. There are only three times where I've really stopped to look at nature: the last time we went to Moab and climbed Delicate Arch, when I went to Hawaii and went on a sunrise walk with Sara, Jonathon, and my Dad and watched the ocean horizon, and when I went to Yellowstone and saw the Grand Tetons.

Those have all been in places acclaimed for their natural beauty. So it's no surprise that I noticed those. But right in the middle of campus, in Logan?

I think I found it so beautiful because it didn't fill the whole sky. If you looked even a little bit over, the sky was grey again. But if you looked in the right spot, it took your breath away.

I lied. There is one more piece of nature that I've stopped to stare at.

This summer I went to visit the Sacred Grove in Palmyra, NY. The spot where Joseph Smith saw the Savior and our Heavenly Father. We went at night, and the whole area was flooded with fireflies. It was like I was surrounded by stars.

You can always find something wrong with your life. You can always find something that makes it just.. bleh. But I'll bet you anything that you can find more things right with your life. Beautiful. Spectacular.

Breathtaking.

You just have to look in the right place. And sometimes, you might even need to ask for help to see.

I had to.

33 - WHE

So as mentioned in the last post, I've made a commitment to myself to be better. More giving. More in tune to other people.

I also made a deal with the Lord. I'm trusting that as long as I do the things I need to do, as long as I make an effort to better myself, my life will turn out the way that it's supposed to. So that means:

Read my scriptures more dutifully and intently
Pay attention in church
Magnify my calling
Be nice, even to people I don't like *coughBriancough* [Haha, just kidding, Brian :)]
Say my prayers more sincerely and often

I know that it'll make me better. And as I was about to do homework today, I looked at the clock. And realized that I can't just go most of the way. And you know what that means...

I have to go to FHE. Which is called Ward Home Evening in college wards, apparently. I've never gone. I never really liked mutual... and I was never interested in going to what is basically mutual in college.

But, I made a deal. And I want my end of it to turn out well. So, I went to WHE tonight! It was a picture scavenger hunt. We didn't win, but it was fun haha. Only one picture was taken on my phone:

Rachael (my friend) and Molly (my roommate) on the A.

I love my life, I do. But things can always be better. Especially now. And I'm hoping that by doing the things that I'm supposed to, and having complete faith in the Lord, things will be ok. You know, I'm not hoping. I know that it will be. Because I have a testimony of Christ and His blessings. He's just waiting to give them to me.

In conference, I believe it was Elder Perry that said blogging and internet communication is a good way to spread the gospel. So to whoever may be reading this, I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I know that it's true. I have a testimony of our Savior and I know that He wants me to be happy, just like He wants you to be happy. No matter what.

So, as long as I keep up my end of the deal, He will keep His.