Last clas

Today in class we talked about Jesus Christ and His resurrection. We talked about a lot of cool parts of the story straight from the scriptures. We read in John chapter 20. Some of my favorite scriptures in all of holy writ are found within this chapter. They are the verses where Jesus Christ speaks to Mary Magdalene after he is risen from the dead. We learned that the original translation indicated that Jesus meant "hold on to me not" or "let go of me." Usually, we read this in English and think that Mary has not yet touched him. When we read the JST version, we see that this scripture is not implying that Mary has not yet touch him. I had never thought of these verses in this way. When I learn new things when reading the scriptures, I feel so inspired. I have read these stories so many times and yet I still have the opportunity to learn each time I open the scriptures. We talked about how special it is that Christ's first resurrected word's were to a woman. That woman, Mary Magdalene, was then told to go tell the other apostles about his resurrection. This was interesting for this time because a woman's voice was not even allowed to be used to testify in court. I hope that through your own personal scripture study you can learn to find new things. I am happy I am able to share my thoughts with you. This was a really special class to end the semester on! 

This week we talked about the Savior's atonement. In my New Testament class, we specifically discussed the events leading up to Christ's death on the cross. One part that was of particular note to me was that Jesus Christ was sent to so many people to be judged of them. He was judged by three Jewish leaders. They said him to Pilate. Pilate sent him to Herod. They all wanted to pass around the blame for the situation. No one wanted to stand up for Jesus or take any blame for condemning him. We can read about this account in Matthew 27. When the crowd chants that they want Jesus to be crucified, Pilate "washes his hands of it." I have always wondered about how the doctrine of repentance and accountability applies to Pilate in this situation. Not that we have a place to judge, but I wonder if Pilate was committing a sin of omission, rather than a sin of commission. I am so grateful that I need not worry about the judgement of others, but it can't help but pop into my mind. What I do know is that because Christ was willing to sacrifice himself in this selfless way, we can be free from sin. We can repent. This is amazing doctrine! I hope that you have a good week and apply this! Don't let temptations bring you down! Repent! :)

:)

Today we read in John 14 and 15. Wow. I was not expecting today's scriptures to have such a strong positive influence on me. Today's lessons was filled with the Spirit. I think that has a lot to do with reading straight from the scriptures. We read about the time in the scriptures after a meal of the Passover. Jesus Christ tells Peter that he will deny him three times before the cock crows. We related how in those days when the cock crowed, that was the people's wake up call. It would also be a symbolic wake up call for Peter as well after he denied the Savior. We explored the statement Jesus made to Peter. Was he commanding Peter to deny him? What he saying sort of a prophecy of the future? President Kimball gave a BYU devotional once called, "Peter, my brother." He talked about how he doesn't like when people, even scholars, discredit or criticize Peter. He was obviously forgiven by the Lord of anything that would be been considered wrong. He was the chief apostle after the Savior died! The Lord would not put him in charge if he had not forgiven him of any wrongs he may have done. I also liked to think about a talk by Elder Maxwell. He also advises us not to criticize Peter. He says that Peter is the world's second best water-walker, following right after the Savior. This is such a beautiful thought to me. The principle of not judging others and following the Savior were prevalent this week in my study. I think this applies to you very well because I often find you being so loving of others. As we continue to not judge others, we will be more like the Savior. Keep up your awesome work! :)

SERVICE

The scripture I want to focus on this week is the classic, scripture mastery verse found in Matthew 25:40. I had some new and enlightening thoughts on this as we read it today. I know the Spirit was there with me in the class because of how inspired I felt. This scripture teaches me about the principle of service. I thought about all the service I have recently rendered to my sister who is going through a very difficult time because her husband is going through chemotherapy. I felt so happy that the Savior admires me for the hard work I have done. It is so hard to imagine that work I have done actually being done for him. I am not writing any of this to say I am so great or so charitable. I am writing this because I feel so motivated to continue to serve, even when I am exhausted and feel like I can do no more. The burden my sister's family is enduring is unfathomable. I know if the Savior was here on earth today, he would be serving and comforting them, so I can try my best to do that as well. 

I would like to also relate this to the story of Mary and Martha and their differing personalities. Sometimes when I am in their home, I am asked to be like Martha (cleaning, doing the dishes, and helping put their son to bed). Sometimes I am asked to be like Mary. I need to sit with my sister and listen to her talk about her thoughts and feelings. I need to be a good friend and a good listener. I view both opportunities as a big blessing.

As far as this can appeal or relate to any readers, it can give us courage to serve more faithfully. The scriptures can motivate us to do some pretty amazing things. If we are experiencing a lack of desire to deserve, we can turn to the Savior's words. We can have faith that the service we do is noticed and appreciated by the Lord.

This week in New Testament class we read Matthew 22 and 23. The passages found in these chapters, Christ is able to share his testimony with those around him. Specifically, he is answering questions of the Pharisees and the Sadducces. Because of their disdain for the Savior and his teachings, they are trying to catch him in a trap. If they can get him to contradict tradition or doctrine, they will have a good argument for finding fault in him and his teachings. It is so sad for me to think that all of these people historically wanted to prove Jesus wrong. It hurts my heart that so many people rejected and despised him. He taught such different teachings than the people were used to, but that doesn't give any good reason to be so rude.

As we already know, the Savior is perfect. He wouldn't get "trapped" in the teachings of these worldly men. He would hold to the will of the Father and teach his doctrine perfectly. The doctrine I get out of this story is that we must stick to the will of the Father. We can pray unto him if we are in need of help as well. Jesus Christ was a perfect example of following his Father in these stories. If you think about this as you read, this applies to everyone. Every single person can seek the will of the Father and do it. It is a two step process. We must not only figure out with the will of the Father is, we must also follow it.

After Christ spoke his answers to their questions, they were silenced and had no reason to keep trying to prove him wrong. This gave me so much comfort. We will not be confounded before the people we are trying to teach his doctrine. It gives me great strength to realize the Savior is by our side to help us through hard times. ALthough we may never be confronted with the same situations that Christ is, we may have situations where we need to stand up for our belief in the Savior.

A scripture we discussed in great depth in class was the story of Mary using ointment on Jesus' feet. This was such a special story. It was found in John 12. This story means a lot to me because of the connection and relationship that Mary and Jesus have. Judas Iscariot criticizes the use of all the expensive ointment on the feet of Christ. He made a comment that selling that ointment could have fed so many poor people. Christ rebukes Judas for being critical and the story goes on. Judas never had the intentions to sell the ointment and give to the poor. An assumption could be made that he wanted to sell it and keep the money for himself. Where Christ is always a perfect example of selflessness and love, those in opposition to him are usually the perfect example in the vice of selfishness.

I had never read this scripture passage in depth before. It has meant so much to me to get a better insight into the relationship Christ and Mary had. It is such a sacred one. I have always loved that Mary is one of the first people to see the resurrected Christ. Their special bond is so thought-provoking. It help same understand my worth and value as a women. Christ loves all people, women included. I am so grateful that through Christ I am able to get a glimpse of my infinite worth.

The good part

Today in class we talked about how Martha and Mary were when Jesus came to visit them. The purpose of Jesus coming to visit them was because His dear friend Lazarus who was also their brother. Jesus is sitting in their house and Mary is at his feet, worshiping him. Martha is busy preparing things in the kitchen and running around the house. This message is usually talked about in the exact same way. In our discussions, we almost always shame Martha for working and not sitting down to spend time with the Savior. This time when we talked about the story, we had much more compassion than I had previously heard. This discussion brought so much insight and comfort. Dr. Griffin talked about how it is more likely that Christ didn't want Martha judging her sister. When Martha tried to correct Mary's behavior, the Savior was not happy with that correction. I had never thought of it like that before. It was more to do with the judgment of Martha, then the actual action she did.

We also talked about how later in the scriptures, Jesus refers to Martha, whom he loves, and her sister. We talked about the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants that says when we reprove people we must show an increase of love. That is such a beautiful tie in. The scripture we talked about was found in Luke 11:44-48. It means so much to me that Christ would take these few verses to teach Martha and Mary a wonderful lesson. The judgement of not judging others is so inspiring. If we choose not to judge others, we will be so much happier. We will be more like Christ. It is encouraging to know that Christ wants us to love others. That means he would treat us with us love in situations where we were trying our best not to judge others. Thanks for reading!

Healing the man born blind

Reading the story of Jesus healing the man born blind was so incredible. I was in a quiet and peaceful room and I could just feel the Spirit all around me. I watched the Bible video of this story more than once on my mission and was just amazed at how well they portrayed this video. Obviously I do no know how it happened in reality, but the version in the Bible video truly inspires me. As I read the story, my heart was touched. I am so amazed that Christ is able to heal both spiritually and physically. This had such a profound effect on me. I also thought it was really interesting when the parents of the blind man had to come testify for him. They were quick to say, yes, he was born blind and we do not know how he was healed. I like that they say to ask him because he is of age. It just shows the love and respect they have for their son. :)

Dealing with Diffulties

Today in New Testament class we talked about how we address and deal with difficulties. We can pray and seek for revelation, we can be patient, and we can ask for help from trusted leaders and loved ones. We can rely on the faith that we already have. We then went into three biblical stories that could be challenging to take just at face value.

One that I was particularly moved by was an account found in Matthew 15:21. Jesus Christ was surely at the height of his popularity among the Jews. Many people knew his name and of his miracles such as feeling the five thousand and walking on water. Jesus and disciples took a trip to the area of Tyre and Sidon, which was listed as a place Jesus had visited before.

While there, a woman of Caaan approached them. She asked for Jesus to heal her sickly daughter. The scriptures say Jesus walked away without replying. This is not the usual nature of the Savior, even when interacting with people of different classes or races. The woman again begged for Christ to heal her daughter. Christ replied with a "no" this time. He mentioned how the "bread of the child should not be given to the dog." At first, this could seem very insulting from Christ. If this interaction were to happen in these days, we could guess the woman's reaction. She might run off and tell everyone she knows about how terrible Christ was. Instead, she was passed a true test of faith. The woman replied that often breadcrumbs fall from the table for the dogs to eat. She believed Christ could heal her. Christ was impressed with her faith and healed her daughter.

This story is really special to me because I felt the Spirit very strongly as we talked about. I am so grateful that the Spirit is the true teacher.

What a remarkable story the parable of the good Samaritan is. It is told by Jesus in Luke 10. I love how Dr. Griffin pointed out that this is such a well-known story worldwide, even among those who aren't Christians. It is pretty exciting to know that people in different cultures still can understand, and often support, the concept of supporting and helping your neighbor. This story for me is centered so much on the Samaritan acting as the Savior would. When you think about Christ's role and example in the story, it has even a deeper meaning. It is good to be a good person. It is better to strive consistently to be more like the Savior. I feel so blessed to have the role of the Savior in my life. I am so happy that I am a member of His church.

Sermon on the Mount

I love the higher law. When Christ teaches the people that they need to away with their old traditions, I'm sure they were not expecting that. Christ came in with some radical ideas that were new the ears of those people at that time. I admire him for his confidence while preaching those things. He knew this is what would make people happy. I'm sure it was a hard adjustment to get used to though. I thought it was interesting that in the Bible Dictionary, it talked about how it didn't seem as hard for the Nephite people to live the higher law, as opposed to the people at the time of Jesus. It mentioned that that could have been because they didn't have as many changes to the original law. It is so interesting that Christ got to teach the Sermon on the Mount twice, once in the Book of Mormon and once in the Bible. He taught it very similarly. This shows me that he truly knew the doctrine and taught it from his heart. Some variance is expected, but it is very little. I love learning about the higher law because it helps me stretch to be a better me. On my mission, I learned a lot about trying to live the higher law. Another example of this for our modern day is that we need to be converted, not just have a testimony. Conversion will lead us to do amazing things. It leads us to exaltation. Testimony is a lesser form, although testimony is needed for conversion.

This week in New Testament class, we talked about how Satan tried three times to tempt Jesus Christ. We read this straight from the scriptures. I have found that when we read directly from these holy words, we are so much more able to feel the spirit. The Spirit helps guide us as we read straight from the pages of the scriptures. We talked in class about how Satan tempted Christ to do things that would allow him temporary and immediate pleasure. One of them was to turn a rock into bread after his fast. Another was to throw himself off the building and then command the angels to save him. In all the temptations that Satan threw at Christ, he was pleading with the Savior to give up greater blessings by taking a current satisfaction now. This can happen to us a mortals too, even if we seek to always follow Christ. We have to make a conscious effort to avoid the buffetings of Satan. This was a really important lesson for me to relearn so that I can look more to avoid the temptations I face each day.

New Testament- CALM THE TEMPEST

New Testament Week 1

While starting the semester project to read both Mark and Luke, I came across a scripture that really meant a lot to me. It came from the story of when Jesus calmed the tempest in Mark chapter 4. In verse 39, Jesus calms the sea after the request from his apostles. One could stop right there and ignore the rest of the chapter and still gain great insight on the character of Jesus Christ. But, if continued, more can be learned about the nature of both Christ and his apostles. In the last verse of the chapter, it seems that the apostles are shocked and amazed at the the miracle Jesus just preformed. It is quite interesting to note that even these apostles who have now been journeying with him for some time now are still in awe at the miracle Jesus performs here. Maybe they had never seen a miracle in this context before. Maybe they were reminded of the power and authority Christ has in every aspect of life. Whatever their reasoning, it is obvious to me that a principle of hope and testimony lie rich in these verses.

Relating that to my own life and to others, Christ is willing to help us in our darkest times. We need not be in a literal storm for him to help us calm our hearts and minds. When the apostles asked him to help them through their trial, he was more than willing to. I believe he did it with gladness. It gave him a chance to bear testimony of the power and strength he had. Through this experience, Christ strengthen the hope and the testimony of his apostles. Just as the apostles could later recall this experience in times of doubt, we too can remember times where Christ helped us through our own refiner's fire. As we remember those sacred and precious moments where the Savior protected us, we will gain increase faith and hope in the process.

The Lord loves us so much and is so willing to grant us safety and peace. He does want us to ask for it though. It is incredible that he has such an amazing amount of love for us. We cannot even comprehend it. As we strive to better understand that love Christ has for us, we will be in awe over and over again at the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Lately...

I have been reading talks from the oh-so smart and oh-so spiritual, Neal A. Maxwell. He has spoken on so many different topics, and yet, when I read them side by side, they all seem to perfectly intertwine. He is such a deep thinker.  His words baffle me at times.  Reading and re-reading his insights about various topics has humbled me in a big way.

The first talk:
"Meekness—A Dimension of True Discipleship"

I found this talk from a former mission leader. Gotta love being in a Facebook mission!  I kind of briefly  mentioned this thought in a Facebook post, but earlier in my mission, I desired the attribute of meekness so badly! It was such a hard concept to grasp, and even harder to acquire. It is neat that I have come full circle and I am interested in obtaining the attribute of meekness again. 

It seems so easy to get concerned about yourself  in today's world. Meekness lessens and eliminates thoughts of self. It is a freeing virtue. One line that was especially poignant to me was,

 "Without meekness, the conversational points we insist on making often take the form of “I”—that spearlike, vertical pronoun." 

Ah! How poetic! And true! How often do we use the word "I?" After I read this talk it seemed that I was hyper-aware of how often I talked about myself! I'm not saying it's bad to share your thoughts and experiences with others by any means! But next time you are in a conversation, consider how eager you are to share something about yourself, redirecting the attention back to you.

Later on in the talk, he says, 

"Among the meek there is usually more listening and less talking." 

This goes hand in hand with the quote above! Conversations with others are some of the best places to practice being meek.  Oh what we can learn from listening to others!

A few more gems: 

"The meek think of more clever things to say than are said. And it’s just as well, for there is so much more cleverness in the world than wisdom, so much more sarcasm than idealism."

"The meek are filled with awe and wonder with regard to God and His purposes in the universe. At the same time, the meek are not awestruck by the many frustrations of life; they are more easily mobilized for eternal causes and less easily immobilized by the disappointments of the day."

All in all, learning more about the Christlike attributes gives me two consequences. 1. I realize how far away I am from being perfect in that attribute. 2. I realize how incredible my Savior is! He exemplifies and personifies ALL of the good attributes in the world!

I love Jesus Christ with all my heart and I hope as I  learn more about him, I will be more motivated to become like Him.

There's nothing like serving the Master. Whether that's on a full-time mission, as a parent, child, spouse, student, aunt, uncle, teacher, or friend, HE HAS WORK FOR YOU TO DO!

So go and do! Like Nephi! You will be blessed beyond comprehension. Trust me. I know because it's happened to  me!

I love the gospel.

I know I haven't written on here in a long time, but the very few who may see this, I love the gospel with all my heart. I am so happy to be a part of this great work. Being a missionary really is a way of life. We must have full dedication to the things we are required to do.

The "gospel" is not merely just attending sacrament meeting, the principle of obedience, serving in our callings, or other meaningful events that happen within in the church each and every day.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is having faith in Him, repenting, being baptized (or renewing your baptismal covenants), receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

As we apply this doctrine into our lives, power comes, true power from our Heavenly Father. In 2 Nephi 31:21, we read, And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen."

This is the way! The only way! When we truly figure out what it means to live the gospel of Jesus Christ, our lives our changed. It becomes a pattern of righteousness to pattern our lives after.

"What are you thinking?"

A talk that I loved from General Conference came from Elder W. Craig Zwick. It was one of the talks that resonated with me long after the conference was over. It was about virtuous and uplifting communication.  I not only loved the topic, but I already loved and respected Elder Zwick because he came to visit our mission sometime last fall, and this talk helped me to love him even more.

Something that he said when he came to North Carolina stuck out to me so much. He bore such a powerful testimony that we were assigned to this mission for a specific reason. And I know that to be true. I know I was called to this mission for many reasons. He strongly and boldly stated, "You have been assigned to the North Carolina Raleigh Mission for a reason. Of that I bear witness." For some, it may have just been words. For me, it changed the way I viewed my entire mission. From that point on, I had no doubt (not that I had had much before) that I was supposed to be in this specific mission. I knew I had to be serving in North Carolina. That way, when times got hard, I could reflect on the way I felt on that day. I knew for a certainty that the words he was saying were true. I knew that I had to figure out the many reasons I was assigned to serve here (more on that some other time).

Back to his talk in conference, titled, "What are you thinking?" That question could be so commonly used to condescend or degrade. But instead, Elder Zwick used this phrase to help us internalize how can can look outward, and not inward. Often times, we jump to conclusions about why another person is feeling what they are. And we really don't know.

My companion and I have been pondering on how powerful words can be for good, or for bad.

This portion of Elder Zwick's talk from Conference answered a lot of my questions.

"Children sometimes speak to beloved parents with tongues as sharp as blades. Spouses, who have shared some of life’s richest and most tender experiences, lose vision and patience with each other and raise their voices. All of us, though covenant children of a loving Heavenly Father,have regretted jumping headlong from the high seat of self-righteous judgment and have spoken with abrasive words before we understood a situation from another’s perspective. We have all had the opportunity to learn how destructive words can take a situation from hazardous to fatal.

A recent letter from the First Presidency states clearly, 'The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us to love and treat all people with kindness and civility even when we disagree' (First Presidency letter, Jan. 10, 2014).What a masterful reminder that we can and should participate in continuing civil dialogue, especially when we view the world from differing perspectives.

The writer of Proverbs counsels, 'A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger' (Proverbs 15:1). A 'soft answer' consists of a reasoned response—disciplined words from a humble heart. It does not mean we never speak directly or that we compromise doctrinal truth. Words that may be firm in information can be soft in spirit."

How true that is! I invite you all to speak more kindly this week!

Change is the only real constant.

Last week at transfer meeting, Sister Bernhisel shared thoughts from the talk given by President Monson called, "Find Joy in the Journey." That phrase has often been quoted and has been a big motivator for me on my mission. Sometimes when I feel that I am looking too far into the future, I try to step back and remember this quote. She shared another quote that I hadn't heard quite as frequently: "Nothing is as constant as change." How true that is.

As I have embarked upon this new journey in a new area, I have enjoyed the refreshing time to create new goals and friendships. Although it was extremely hard to leave my last area because I loved it so much, I am ready for new challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of me. I will have to catch on to this area rather quickly because my wonderful companion will be finishing her mission at the end of this transfer.

I know that the Lord has been with me through it all and I know that He can comfort you in the change and the trials that you face as well. We must turn to him always, so that we can receive the blessing that He already has in store for us. I have found that the best way to do this is by pouring our souls out in mighty prayer. 

In the Bible Dictionary under 'prayer', it says, 

"The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them. 

We all want happiness, don't we?

Recently, I found two scriptures that reference "happy" or "happiness" in the Book of Mormon that I really love.

The first is found in Mosiah 2:41. As background information from the chapter, this is when King Benjamin is teaching the people of Zarahemla in a General Conference-like address. (What is General Conference? Click here!) Everyone has come great distances to be able to hear what their king would instruct them on. The very last verse of the chapter reads,

"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."

Let's break down that verse a little bit. He is asking everyone to consider and ponder about how happy and blessed the people who keep the commandments of God are. I think of some of the most faithful people I know. These are the people who read their scriptures every day, that pray every day, and that they live in accordance with God's will for them. Then I think, "How happy are they?"   

The first person that comes to my mind is my dad. Every morning growing up, I would always see him eating his Wheatie cereal for breakfast and reading his scriptures. Reflecting on that now, I realize how big of a difference that has made in his life, not only for his spiritual growth, but for his happiness. My dad is one of the most calm and level-headed people I know. He is also one of the most happy people I know. Not much makes him upset and I think it would be safe to attribute part of that to the fact that he reads his scriptures every morning.  

Reading gives you knowledge. Reading give you patience. Reading the scriptures makes you  happy! What a concept! I often tell people (including myself), "If you aren't reading the Book of Mormon every day, you aren't as happy as you could be." I firmly believe that is true.

The next verse I love is found in 2 Nephi 5:27. It reads,  

"And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."

(When I searched "happiness" on LDS.org, this is what came up)

The first time I heard this verse was when my friend Savannah shared it with me as her favorite verse found in the Book of Mormon. I had never really recognized this teeny tiny verse in the Book of Mormon. When I read this verse, I thought to myself, "How can I get that? How can I live in a manner of happiness?" That was one of my greatest desires at the time. 

Reading the surrounding verses of the chapter gave me a lot of insight. Verse 17 especially stuck out to me.

 "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my people to be industrious, and to labor with their hands." 

What was one thing they did to be happy? They worked so, so hard! That is something that I apply to myself when I am having a tough day as a missionary. My wise trainer read the following quote to me from President Harold B. Lee on one of my hardest days on my mission.

“One of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work! If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy. There will be no homesickness, no worrying about families, for [he will have] all [his] time and talents and interest … centered on the work of the ministry. Work, work, work—there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work."

The same would apply to everyone else, in all phases of life. In closing, I would suggest that reading the scriptures and working hard are two things that will make you happy. It has worked for me and I know it will work for you! Evaluate how well you are doing these two things if you are struggling to be happy. I know that through improving upon these two things (and others) you will be able to have a clearer mind and cope with the challenges of life more fully.

I love the Lord and I love my mission!