#knowHElives

ahhh I can taste spring in the air. It's wonderful.

I mean... It's spring break and both Easter and Conference are next week. I don't think life could get any sweeter.

I started working on mission papers and it feels fabulous! I had an interview with my bishop last Sunday and I am so excited about this new gospel adventure that I am about to embark on. (see what I did there?!) I also need to say thanks to my incredible young womens leaders who dropped off a cute "congrats on starting your papers" present earlier this week. It made my day. I have the very best leaders. I love you guys! 

One countdown finished and onto the next one! 55 days until I can submit my papers!

This month my school's seminary council extended a challenge that everyone spread their testimonies about Christ by posting pictures, quotes, and testimonies on social media with the hashtag

#knowHElives

You should all go look up that hashtag on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. It is all kinds of awesome!

And to wrap up this fantastic challenge we asked students (and teachers) to finish the sentence

"Because I know HE lives...."

This was what they said...

As you might have noticed I have a picture in there that said that I would "share my testimony on my blog" so here it is.

I have a testimony of Jesus Christ. I know He once walked the earth with the saints and he taught the truest doctrine of love. I know that He Atoned for all of my sins, and that He also Atoned for all of my pains and afflictions. I know that He died so that we might all be able to return to live with Him and our Father in Heaven again. I also believe that if I had been the only person that needed this pure act of love that He would still have done it because He loves me that much. I also know that He would have done the same for each of you. I know he was resurrected and that because of Him death has no sting. I know that He loves me so much more than I can even comprehend and that He wants what's very best for me. I know that He will direct my path as long as I'm willing to follow Him. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is in fact, HIS church and that He is the head of it which is why it is the only church with His complete gospel on the earth today. I know that He lives. Because I know that He lives I will prepare to dedicate 18 months of my life to His service by serving a mission. I will also dedicate every second after that to loving Him and building his kingdom. I will do this by not being afraid to share my testimony, by loving everyone around me, and by letting His light shine through me (hence the blog name...."feel my sunlight.") I promise to do my very best, and because I know that alone I will never be enough, I also promise to rely on Him everyday. Because He is almighty, and all-knowing. He is ever loving and everlasting. He is Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father. He is my Savior, And He is my Redeemer.

And I love Him.

What parts of your are changed...
#BecauseHeLives?

What are you going to do...
#BecauseOfHim?

How are you going to help others...
#KnowHelives?

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In addition to my testimony I also thought I'd add a "what I'm listening to right now" section because I know that you guys like them. I've been on a Christian music kick lately. {I've had my radio set to play K love for over a month.} So here is the music that have been playing through my headphones lately...

feel my sunlight

p.s. Who's excited for #LDSconf tomorrow and next week?!? I AM!

p.s.s. Shout out to all my seniors out there... ONLY ONE MORE TERM OF HIGH SCHOOL!

p.s.s.s. Sorry this is such a long post, but I just have to share this picture I found on Pinterest... It's the single cutest thing I have ever seen.

future sister missionary

I can start working on mission papers in two weeks...

...and on that note congrats to the following mega incredible people that I am privileged to be friends with that have received their mission calls...

Lauren- Papeete, Tahiti

Teri- Baltimore, Maryland

Dallin- Huancayo, Peru

Adam- Orlando, Florida

Okay seriously... all four of those goons would make it onto my list of "top favorite humans" if I were to make one, but I'm not going to because then everybody else would feel bad. You guys are seriously so incredible and I am so excited for you. Thanks for being such great examples for me to follow. I don't know if I can express how much you four have impacted my life and lets just say that I can't wait to join you! Y'all are going to do great things. 

I'm just going to dance around the topic of missionary work for a minute because that's the kind of mood I'm in.

I'm in a current stage of crazy. And by "crazy" I mean I just want to go on a mission so bad that it occupies a lot of my thought process. Everyone that is close to me could tell you the exact number of days I have on my countdowns to how soon I can start papers, and how soon I can submit them because I'm always telling people.

I asked one of my seminary teachers a few weeks ago what the best mission prep advice he had ever heard was. I already knew what he was going to say before he said it. 

He quoted Elder Bednar when he said to;

"become a missionary long before you go on a mission."

I rolled my eyes a little at that response. "Ya Brother Peterson... I've heard that already."

I obviously hadn't tried it yet.

For some reason I had it in my head that to "be a missionary before I go on a mission" I was supposed to dress up in a skirt and walk around the high school handing out pass along cards to the non-Mormon kids in the hallway and call it good.

But what I've come to realize is that "becoming a missionary" is much more than that.


Becoming a missionary means living like a missionary as much as I possibly can. No, it doesn't mean I will stop doing the things I'm doing, It just means I'm going to act and live a little differently.

It means I'll try my best to follow the missionary schedule. Wake up early and go to bed early. This is something I have a hard time with, but that I've found that the more I do it the easier it gets and the better I feel.

It means I'll dress modestly. I won't spend all my time in a dress, but I will make sure my clothes are appropriate and that they are sending the right message to people.

It means I'll change the kind of media that I surround myself with.
I love this clip from John Bytheway about marinating in today's media. Full time missionaries surround themselves with a different type of media. The music they listen to invites the spirit and they avoid anything that is mediocre. Imagine if we all did this in our every day lives. Imagine the kind of curve ball that would throw at Satan's plan.

It means I'll study. I'll study my scriptures. I won't just read because my seminary teacher told me to. I'll study because I really want to know and become like Christ. I'll study Preach my Gospel because I want to know the material I'll be teaching in six months. It means I'll study how to play piano. I haven't played since I was 9, but you'd better know that if by chance I get called to an area where nobody else knows how to play, we will be able to sing Sweat Hour of Prayer loud and proud every week. It means that I'll study my family history. I'll learn about my ancestors conversion stories, because in a sense their conversion stories are my conversion stories and if I can come to know them, I will be able to help lead others towards the gospel as well.

It means I'll put myself in situations where I will learn. I'll go to seminary, I'll go to church, and I'll go to mission prep, and I'll be doing my best wherever I am.

It means I'll be confidant. It means I'll swallow my natural inhibition to become shy and I'll talk to people. It means I'll bring up church topics with my friends of different faiths. It means I'll raise my had in seminary and that I'll be the first to share my testimony when prompted. It means I won't be afraid to be the Lord's mouthpiece.

It means I'll look for miracles in every day life. After Adam opened his mission call yesterday, I was at his house talking to his family. We got on the topic of car accidents and that led to the topic of the miracles we have seen in our lives. This just made me realize that if we are open to looking for them, the Lord will show us miracles. The Savior's life was full of performing miracles, but only those who had their eyes open could see them. As a missionary you need to have your eyes open and your heart softened for these kinds of experiences.

It means I'll be an example. I'll live in a way that isn't self-righteous, but in a way that lets others know that the Gospel is my happiness and that I want everyone to have this same happiness.

I love this video of sisters talking about preparing for a mission.





I'm not quite there yet, but I guess that's why the Lord has given me a little while to prepare.





What is some of the best mission advise you have ever heard?





feel my sunlight





p.s. Golly I'm not excited about the time change tomorrow.
p.s.s. I'm teaching Sunday school tomorrow all by myself.

I #KnowHeLives

My school's seminary has started a social media challenge to help spread our testimony about Jesus Christ and we're inviting you to participate!

This year our seminary theme scripture is Doctrine and Covenants 68:6 which says;

We decided this month to focus on the part of the scripture that says "That I am."

During Christ's life on this earth He taught of love. He showed the single greatest act of love that anybody has every shown. Christ brought to pass the Atonement. An act in which enabled all of mankind to be able to return to live with our Father. Without this Atonement we would be left to our own carnal state and be condemned to destruction by justice. 

However, since Christ was perfect He was able to pay the debt He did not owe, because we had a debt we could not pay.

This is mercy.

It is prophesied by prophets through the Bible, and Book of Mormon, as well as by modern day prophets, that Christ will come again to redeem his people.

But what about right now?

I haven't seen the nail prints in his hands or feet, nor have I talked with him face to face during this life, but I do know that he plays a part in my everyday life.

I know He lives. I know He lives today.

I can see the evidence in my life. In the way the sun comes up in the morning. I can hear it in a baby's cry. I can see it in the kindness shown by strangers, and the love shown by families. I can see it in the way the flowers grow, how the snow falls, and in the way He lights up the sky with diamonds. 

I first gained this knowledge when I prayed to ask if He was aware of me. I got an answer more powerful than I can explain. No, I wasn't visited by angels, I didn't hear a voice, or have a vision, yet the answer I got to that prayer was nevertheless powerful. It was just a simple peaceful feeling. A warmth in my heart that let me know that He was indeed there and that He was aware of me.

This is one of my very favorite songs about the Savior. For more about the artists in this song please visit www.notesofglory.com.

I know that He lives. I know that he loves me more than I can even comprehend. I know that he is all-knowing and almighty. Because I have this knowledge I trust Him to direct me in my life and I know that if I follow Him I will always remain on the right path. I also know that if I ever slip up and make a mistake that His hand will always be stretched out towards me ready to pull me back up. 

I believe in Christ. I believe in all that He has done. I believe that there are many great things that he is yet to do. I also believe that He remains a part of my everyday life and that He lives today.

As part of our social media challenge we ask you to share your testimony about Jesus Christ with the world through social media. 

To do this we challenge you to post quotes, scriptures, pictures, and personal testimonies to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and any other of your favorite social media sites and don't forget to use the hashtag #KnowHeLives.

Help us spread the good news of Christ with the world.


I love you all and want you to never forget that Christ loves you and is aware of you.




feel my sunlight

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Also, shout out to Noelle Bybee for crushing it in the blind auditions on The Voice the other night. Noelle and I used to tumble together back in the days of velvet leotards. We're rooting for you Noelle!

Look how cute we are in our velvet leotards.

Buy her audition song HERE!