Serve the Lord inside His house

Salt Lake City, Utah Temple

I'm a terrible blogger.

I know.

*insert cookie cutter apology for not blogging in a long time.*

Oh boy I feel like I'm living life at a dead sprint... Which I realize is kind of an oxymoron, but still an accurate description.

I'm currently trapped in my room. My little sister is literally on a date right outside my room. Complete with fancy attire and sparkling apple cider. When she was telling my mom her date plans I just looked at them and said "I'll be in my bedroom making no noise and pretending I don't exist." In the most awkward Harry Potter voice possible.

I must say that I'm living up to it right now. I'm completely content to sit here in my pajamas. So here I am in my room listening in to my sister and her date whilst writing this post... They are currently freaking out over the fact that their pie is ready to eat... in case you were wondering.

Like I said above, my life is a whirlwind, but isn't it like that for everybody?

Wasn't it like that for the Savior?

I was sitting in a seminary class the other day when I came across a verse in the Doctrine And Covenants.

Back in May of 1833 The Lord had commanded the saints to build a temple. He gave the saints specific dimensions that the temple should be built to, and he also gave them instruction about how it should be dedicated and should remain pure.

Later in August of the same year the Lord continues his instruction on the building of the temple. In D&C Section 97 verse 10, the Lord states that;

"Verily I say unto you, that it is my will that 

my house should be built unto me in the land of Zion, 

like unto the pattern which I have given you."

That last line really stuck out to me. Obviously it is in reference to the pattern after which they should build the temple, but could it also be a reference to Christ and his mortal ministry?

The main reasons for Christ's descent into mortality were to #1 Atone for our sins and afflictions so that we might be able to return to live with our Father in Heaven again, and #2 to set an example, or a pattern after which we should follow so that we can know how to return to live with God again.

While Christ lived a perfect life free of sin, his life never was "perfect."

His life was a whirlwind.

During his mortal ministry he was abused and tormented, he was tempted, yet never gave into temptation, his followers doubted him, and he was betrayed by his closest friends. And ultimately, in his final days, he atoned for the sins and afflictions of all mankind, his innocent blood was spilled and he was unjustly killed by those whom should have loved him.

Luke 22:44 gives us a glimpse into the pain he felt...

"And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: 

and he sweat as it were great drops of blood 

falling down to the ground."

Yet even with these great whirlwinds in his life, he still was able to remain the perfect example.

One of my favorite examples that he set for me was his love for the temple.

Palmyra, New York temple

We read at the end of Luke chapter 2 that as a twelve year old boy Christ went to Jerusalem with his family, and when his family returned, he stayed behind and his parents knew not where. When his parents returned to Jerusalem to look for him they found him in the temple teaching. What I love about this story was that Jesus was not compelled to go to they temple by anyone else.

He did not wait for his young mens leaders to organize a youth temple trip.

Nobody told him to go. Nobody was even encouraging him to go, but still he knew that he should be doing His fathers work in His father's house.

When his mother inquired as to why he was in the temple he said;

"wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?"

As youth living in the latter days with almost unlimited access to the temple, we should be following Christ's example by attending more often.

Ogden, Utah temple

You need no other reason to attend other than the fact that you want to follow Christ's example, and that you want to serve your Lord. Just because you are young doesn't mean you need to wait until others tell you to attend the temple.

You don't need to wait until your young men or young women leaders organize ward temple days.

You don't need to wait until your parents ask you if you want to go do baptisms for the dead. You can organize it yourself. Just like in Christ's story, your parents will be bewildered by your willingness to serve God. And you will be blessed beyond measure.

I recognize that for some parts of the world where the temple is not in close proximity it might be hard to attend on a regular basis, but I do encourage you to attend as often as possible. For those of us who do live near temples, we can do better. There are youth that arrive at the Bountiful temple every Tuesday at 4:30 in the morning to assist in the Lord's work. Surely these youth are following the example set by the Savior.

Bountiful, Utah temple

I know that as we attend the temple we will be blessed. I know that we can all do a better job at serving our Lord inside His house, and I know that as we work towards this goal the Lord will smile down upon us and grant us blessings that we would never have received otherwise. I have such a deep love for the temple and the Lord's work.







I encourage everyone to attend the temple more now than you have in the past. If you aren't ready to attend the temple, I encourage you to work harder to become ready. The temple brings blessings, and the temple brings us closer to the Lord.

Likewise I promise to do a better job at attending the temple, even if that means waking up before the sun comes up, because this small sacrifice is insignificant in comparison to all that Christ has done for me, so ultimately I can do this little part to give back to him.



feel my sunlight

---

p.s. Since I'm on seminary council, I helped organize a Seminary morning side for my school a little while ago and it made the news paper! Read about it here!

Through the eyes of God

Wow January has been eventful and I've failed to write about it... typical.

I could rattle off all the cool things that happened to me this month, but somehow I don't feel like this would profit you much.

Being on seminary council I was privileged earlier this month to participate in testimony meeting with all of the class presidents at the school, in addition to all the seminary council members. As expected from this type of crowd you can imagine the kind of spirit that was shared in this meeting. There was enough testimony to cover you head to toe in happiness and lets just say that the inside of my heart was coated like hot glaze poured over a freshly baked doughnut.

I don't know how else do describe it.

As I sat there listening to the people that I joke around with, the people I send funny text messages to, the people I pass in the halls, and the people I follow on twitter, I was amazed at the conviction I could see in their eyes. I listened as my peers bore powerful testimonies. As I sat there listening to these students tell just how much they love their God, I couldn't help but think; "MAN! God sure does love them too. And he loves them a whole bunch."

Ever since that day I haven't looked at anyone in quite the same way. I learned that day that God loves the people around me so much. I began to see others through God's eyes and I began to see just how much he appreciated their individual sacrifice and devotion towards him. I also began to see the potential that He see in them.

I've heard it a million times, In fact, I recite the same phrase every Sunday... "I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father who loves me." We have been told since we were little that God loves us, but never have I internalized this like I did during this meeting. God really does love all of the people around you.

God loves that little kid that draws you pictures, God loves your friend that is struggling to enjoy seminary, and God loves the kid that can't get enough of it. God loves your friend whose parents are getting divorced, God loves the Cheerleader, the Theater nerd, and the band geek. God loves the boy who wants nothing to do with the gospel, and God loves the girl that is a self-proclaimed weirdo, God loves the heartbroken, and God loves the repented. God loves the kid that has a million friends, God loves the kid that has no friends. God loves your teachers, and God loves your students. God loves that girl who just turned in her mission papers, and the boy still trying to decide weather or not he wants to serve. God loves you.

I encourage you to try this week to see people as they really are. As sons and daughters of the God Almighty. Try your very best to see them as heirs to the kingdom of God. And I promise you that if you earnestly seek to see people in this way you will begin to understand them as God understands them, and subsequently you will begin to see yourself through God's eyes as well. Because He loves you so much.

 I attended a fireside given by Mallory Everton from Studio C last Sunday and I just want to eccho her words when she said that "This {the gospel} Is a good place to be."

I know that the truest happiness has come into my life because of the gospel. It is the very best place to be and my greatest desire is for those around me to feel this same joy.




P.S. I got an acceptance letter to BYUI yesterday! While I'm not fully decided on where I will go to college yet, I was excited to get that letter! :)

P.S.S. Like I mentioned above, I got to attend a fireside given by Mallory Everton from Studio C last Sunday. It was amazing and one of my favorite firesides that I have been to. Mallory is my very favorite actress on one of my favorite shows. If you aren't familiar with Studio C you need to check it out right now. I love her enthusiasm for life and I loved her message about being in the world, but not of the world. Thanks for such an awesome fireside Mallory! It was so fun to meet you!

P.S.S.S. On Tuesday I was finally able to go do baptisms for the dead at the Ogden Temple for the first time since it's been rededicated. I also need to mention that these four goons in the picture with me are some of my very favorite humans and that I'm so glad to have them in my life.

P.S.S.S.S. One of my cute tumbling students drew me this.... I can't handle how cute it is!

P.S.S.S.S.S.
Last time I shared music suggestions I had several people tell me they loved it so I decided I'd keep it up! Here is what I've been listening to this week! Let me know what you think!
 

for lack of a better title: I crashed my car

Today I am writing just to be thankful to write.

There are days were things like the color of your shoes, or how many boys talk to you, or the amount of time you spent doing on your hair matters. And then there are days where only the fact that you are still here matters.

Today is Tuesday. Temple Tuesday.

Temple Tuesday is the day were I wake up early (like EARLY) and go do baptisms at the temple. I often bring along a friend or two and we have a grand old time while the rest of you lay fast asleep in your warm beds. (And by "grand old time" I mean Mormon grand old time. It's the best kind.)

So today was Temple Tuesday.

I woke up at 4:20 am. By 4:35 am I was picking up one of my best friends named Lauren. By 4:45 am my car looked like this...




Right now it is 7:42 p.m. I am sitting at my computer with my only marks of the crash on the surface of my skin and Lauren is at her house with only sore muscles and a scraped knee.

While this isn't one of those stories where everyone walks away with out a scratch, it is one of those stories where everyone walks away.

Me, being the less than average height person that I am, took an airbag to the face where it should hit the chest, and now look like I got in a fight with a ninja and lost.

But I'm alive.

I'm alive.

I know there was divine help this morning on the icy freeway. I know that it wasn't a coincidence that there was nobody at all around us in any surrounding lanes of traffic when we spun out of control and hit the median.  As we were spinning and crashing there was this odd sense of awareness that I felt. I panicked, but for some reason Lauren didn't. For some reason she talked to me through the whole crash giving me play by play on what I should do. It was as if I had my tumbling coach on the side of the mat yelling things like "point your toes" "stretch" "faster" as I tumble down the mat to hit a perfect pass. I don't doubt that there was some divine power helping her do that.I know it wasn't a coincidence that when our car finally came to a stop it did so on the side of the road out of the line of traffic. I know that it wasn't a coincidence that the three men with construction vests in the truck were there as soon as our car came to a stop. I know that it wasn't a coincidence that we both walked away.

Now, for me it's easy to see the hand of the Lord in situations like this, but it is sometimes harder to see his hand in our everyday lives.

We live in a day where Satan does his very best to confuse people. We live in a day were confusion and chaos is a day to day thing. He wants us in distress. He wants us to fear. He wants us to forget our faith.

 In these tumultuous times many don't know where to go for peace. Its as if peace is hidden, when really, it is right in front of them. We live in a world where big calamities are seen as trials, but we often forget that there are more destructive. Jeffery R. Holland speaks of a type of destruction that is more destructive than tornadoes, earth quakes, and might I say, car crashes. This destruction is spiritual destruction.

I add my testimony to Elder Hollands that weather I am to die today or I am to die in a far future I want to be able to stand before God and say that I believe the Book of Mormon to be true. I believe in Christ. I believe in the words of Christ. I believe in his church. I believe that He will provide and I will treasure up his word.

AND NOW PICTURES FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT!

Lauren and I with my car on the tow truck. My face was swollen so this was the best smile I could manage.

tow truck at 5am!

Car crash face!

Me right after the crash

My at 7:00 pm

Me at 7:00 pm again

me attempting to smile. #fatface

feel my sunlight

p.s. Quote of the day: 

"my biggest regret is that we didn't take a selfie."

"WE ALMOST DIED"

"we need to sort out our priorities"

p.s.s. My second biggest regret is that I left my deodorant in the van. Have no fear! I got some more.

love life my friends.