The Power in Losing

This past weekend I had the pleasure of going with my ward to our Winter Conference in the middle of nowhere. I had no idea what I was getting into and in the rush to go (completely forgetting when we had to be at the church) I ended up arriving in the snowy cabins in flats and with no snow gear.

But I wasn't interested in going sledding and instead spent my time killing people as a werewolf (and subsequently always being killed early into the game), joining the dark side (we actually did have cookies), and eating toast (Nacho Libre jokes were made). Yet I could not shake the wonderful message given by President Henry Friday night at the conference.

He spoke of his life and struggles and the blessings of the gospel. There were a few things that stuck out to me, but I especially loved when he said, "I've learned more from losing than I have from winning."

We've all been told to learn from our mistakes and to move forward, yet for some reason I didn't think of it that way. Looking back on my life, I always thought I learned best from my success and wins. Maybe it's because I didn't want to think about my loses. I didn't want to look back on my failures. I just wanted to move forward and do better. It seems so obvious, yet it was as if I heard it for the first time.

When things go right do we forget to stop and analyze the situation and see why? Do we forget to think about what we can learn from this? Or do we just relish in the moment and forget to give gratitude?

Perhaps that's why I love journaling, because when I look back I can see things clearer than I could as I experienced them. I know we are all given trials and tribulations to teach us and help us grow, I just didn't think we learned more from losing than we did from winning.

On that train of thought: is there power in losing? Absolutely.

We know in the scriptures that many of the prophets did not seemingly succeed. Abinidai might not have known that after his death Alma would follow in his footsteps and end up converting thousands. Or perhaps he did. I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Either way, assuming Abinidai didn't, he must have felt like he failed big time. He must have thought he lost.

My thoughts turn back to last year when my father lost his job. It felt like we were lost. We had no idea what to expect or what was going to happen. But we learned. We got up and pressed forward, finding a way and turning to our Heavenly Father for guidance. We're still learning and Heavenly Father is slowly unraveling His plan for us but we're not going to let this bring us down.

President Henry explained it in terms of wrestling, being that he was a wrestling coach for many years. He explained how some who lost matches didn't need to be talked to. They were quiet and analyzed what they did wrong. If anything they needed encouragement. Others needed to be talked to to help them understand how they could do better.

Perhaps in our own lives we could ask ourselves which we are on this spectrum. Do we need encouragement because we are down on ourselves or do we need help in understanding what we need to do better? I can tell you that personally I'm a little of both. And I bet most of us are the same way.

I can't tell you what power you can gain from losing and that you'll always learn something. Sometimes you just have to trust in the Lord and press forward, even when you don't fully understand. I do know there is power in losing, though. And I do know our Savior can help us.

To share a somewhat silly example, I'm really bad a playing games. I usually lose when I play games the first time around. When we first got Just Dance I was horrible. So horrible Herby thought the controllers were broken because I got such low scores. They weren't. I was just that bad. And I hated playing in front of people because of it. But once I observed and got a feel for it, I came back stronger, until I had most (if not all) of the top scores.

Losing can be embarrassing, and it is. I think if it wasn't for the fact that it was my first time playing Risk later that night I would have been incredibly embarrassed. But I learned, and who knows, maybe I'll do better next time. It's okay to be embarrassed. It's okay to have a hard time. It's okay to be beat down and to need time to sort out your thoughts and emotions. Guess what? You can try again. You can take this moment to build yourself up into someone stronger. There is power in losing.

A wonderful example of power in losing is Job. He lost everything save his faith. Job had a wonderful and powerful testimony. Have we striven to be more like Job? Can we take a loss as well as him? Or do we murmur? Are we striving for power in our loses?

It's not easy. No doubt about it. I think it's safe to say many of us are hard on ourselves after a loss or we don't understand why we lost. That's okay. You have a mentor who is ready and waiting to help you. You have a wonderful coach who's been through it all and can help you. He knows what you've gone through and he can help you through it. Despite being crucified he has risen. And he will never lose. He will always win, and he will help you to rise up with him. In fact as I recall a holiday is coming up in relation to this very resurrection and person.

If you want to find real power in losing then you need to turn to the atonement. No one has risen better or can help us gain power better than our Savior. And he can help us to do the same. I'm not going to get into the atonement because that's a post for another day in the near future (say... around Easter time?), but each one of us can come to understand it and how it can give us power in our own personal studies and prayers.

I'm so thankful for President Henry's words and guidance and for the memories made at Winter Conference. I've been thinking a lot on the atonement and what I can learn from losing since and I'm excited for Easter. If we remember to turn to our Savior, not murmur, and to be more like Job, we can learn so much and gain a great and powerful testimony. And I wish that for all of us.

Happy (early) Easter!

You Were Created In God's Image

It's no secret that people, especially females, suffer from bad body image. Everyone has their insecurities. Everyone has dealt with issues in self worth and confidence. And that's okay, because that's a part of life. I wanted to speak on this because, like everyone else, I've dealt with this too. But, not only that, I think that we sometimes forget how important self worth and self confidence is in our spiritual journey back to our Heavenly Parents. And it's very important.

Remember you were created in God's image. In a physical sense you, in a small way, represent your Heavenly Father. How can you say you love Him if you don't love yourself?

It's tough to think about because we want to come to know and love our Heavenly Father, but it's important to know that you can't fully love another without loving yourself first. You are wonderful in your Heavenly Father's eyes. He loves you. He's done so much for you and wants to continue to bless you. But I cannot stress enough how much having self worth matters in the road back to your Heavenly Father.

Not loving yourself is disrespectful to yourself and your Heavenly Father. He created you and He loves you, so when you don't show that love for yourself you're taking for granted what God has created.

The thing is, the road to self confidence can't be started because you don't want to offend God. Though by all means, live in a way that won't offend your Heavenly Father. I'm sure He won't mind. And it will certainly help. But you should always always always try to live a little for yourself.

"Date yourself. Take yourself out to eat. Don't share your popcorn at the movies with anyone. Stroll around an art museum alone. Fall in love with canvases. Fall in love with yourself." -Unknown

When you love yourself you open your heart to others and let them in. You're happier and that reflects on the outside. When you love yourself you find less reasons to hate another. "To love another you must first love yourself."

Self confidence is a personal journey that's different for everyone. There are plenty of books, articles, and films with help to gain self confidence but it'll be different for everyone. One thing is the same however: your Heavenly Father can and will help you. Counsel with your Heavenly Father and read your patriarchal blessing if you have one (if you don't I encourage you to get one). Take some time off from Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest to give more time to yourself.

The media can be harmful to your self confidence. That's common knowledge, yet we do little to fix it. If you find yourself online and your confidence wanes because of something you see then you know you need to get out. Don't surround yourself with anything or anyone that won't boost your confidence.

I don't think I can stress enough how important this is. When I came to love myself I came to love my Heavenly Father so much more, and I was able to learn more and be truly converted. Remember Heavenly Father loves you. This isn't a trivial love that changes depending on your weight or height or if you fit the media's standards of good looking. No, He loves you so much "He sent His only begotten son." There's nothing trivial about that. In the April 2008 Priesthood session Henry B. Eyring said: "You can feel confidence because you have evidence of His confidence in you." [here's the source if you want to read this talk on the priesthood and confidence]

But to be able to feel His confidence in you you need to start with yourself. Start by being a little selfish and loving yourself. Date yourself. That's a wonderful idea. I've even started doing it and I love it. Do His work. Go do some service for your fellow man, and you will "have evidence of His confidence in you." In D&C 121 we are encouraged to "be full of charity towards all men ... and let virtue garnish [our] thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God."

Understand that you were preordained in the Pre-Mortal estate. He has great plans for you. And He knows you can accomplish those things which He has sent you to do. He has confidence in you. You've be preordained by God. No one else can do the work that He needs you to do. That's huge. But if you let yourself be beat up by low self esteem you won't be able to fully do those things. He needs you to know how wonderful you are. And yes, you are wonderful. So wonderful your Savior took your sins upon himself and died for you.

We all know the phrase, "Through Christ all things are possible." Let's change that around a bit to "through confidence all things are possible." Because confidence is of Christ and Heavenly Father. Satan doesn't want you to have confidence. He doesn't want you to know how wonderful you really are. He wants you to be unhappy like him. He wants you to suffer and turn away from your Heavenly Father.

Stay away from worldly influences that bring you down. Heavenly Father humbles. He doesn't bring us down. He makes us better, not worse. When you really come to understand that and feel of His love, and in turn love yourself, your life will be richer and you will be happier. It starts with you and your decision to do that for yourself. It doesn't start with a new boyfriend or girlfriend, a perfect career, or toned abs.

Heavenly Father will help you. He wants to. Have I said it enough? He loves you.

And ladies, for the love of all that's good and saintly, stop pining your worth on guys. Stop telling yourself you're not beautiful, smart, wonderful, or whatever because you're single or because some guy said otherwise. He's not worth it, and the right guy won't just like you because of your looks. I once heard someone say, "Don't put your worth on someone who's probably thinking about tacos."

If you need some more encouragement, I recommend heading over to Beauty Redefined to read their awesome blogs. Or, you know, you could look into the Young Women's and Relief Society program, which strives to bring girls up in righteousness and help them gain confidence. If you're going to lean on a guy for confidence then at least lean on your Savior. We should learn to lean on Him when we're going through a tough time. We need to lean on him for strength.

Um... I like the song too but I don't need that song to make me feel beautiful.

I'm sorry but as much as I love One Direction, listening to What Makes You Beautiful isn't going to change your confidence. Maybe you'll believe them for three minutes and twenty-seven seconds but that's not enough. You need to devote time and effort to yourself.

Your body is a temple. We know this. You may have even heard this your whole life. Treat your body well. I'm not saying you need to be a size two. No. Skinny doesn't necessarily mean healthy (Likewise being "fat" doesn't mean you're unhealthy.). But your body is a gift. Take care of it.

It has been scientifically proven that when you're good to your body you feel better and you're happier. And yes, you love yourself. Why do you think Heavenly Father gave us the Word of Wisdom? So we can be healthy and happy. Don't for one second think dieting to get a "perfect bikini ready body" or "to look thinner and therefore prettier" is the same thing. Do not let the media and Satan fool you. It's great to get healthy, but you must have a healthy mind too.

I personally believe the key to loving yourself is in spending some time alone (date yourself), serving your Heavenly Father, and in taking care of yourself (The Word of Wisdom). And I've learned that when I read my patriarchal blessing and tried to understand how Heavenly Father sees me and my potential I was much happier and I loved myself more. But again, it's a personal journey for all of us.

Know you're not alone in this. Your Heavenly Father and Savior want you to love yourself and they'd be more than happy to help. They know your divine potential. Your Savior died for you. If he didn't think you were worth it he wouldn't go through the atonement for you. He "bled through every pore" because He cares and loves us. Each and every one of us.

You were created in God's image and He loves you. Never forget that. And remember to love yourself. The journey to self love and self confidence starts with you. It doesn't start with a boyfriend or compliments littering your Facebook. It starts with you. Remember to never let anything bring you down. Heavenly Father wouldn't want you to.

I promise that through our Savior and our Heavenly Father you can come to have confidence in yourself and find true joy. The plans They have for us are to bring us joy. Not to bring us down. And, as if I couldn't say it enough, it all starts with you.

What are you doing now to make yourself happier?

Further reading:

• The 2007 Mutual Theme on Real Confidence has some great points
• Here is a post on LDS.org on Spiritual Confidence
• Canaries With Gray on their Wings is a beautiful talk by Thomas S. Monson
• The Self Improvement Mentor has some great points about gaining confidence and comparing ourselves to others
• Oh hey, I wrote a post on comparing ourselves to others!
• They don't call it the positivity blog for nothing
• And I can't talk about Beauty Redefined enough. I love their blogs!

Philippians 4:8

8 Finally, bretheren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.


I came across this scripture one day as I was trying to find another and have been thinking on it for quite some time. We are told to apply scriptures to ourselves. One of my leaders once gave me a card that took a scripture from D&C but put my name in it. I put it on my mirror so I saw it every day to remind me of it's message.

So naturally I've been contemplating how I can apply this scripture to my life. I've seen a few graphics of it on Pinterest (but seeing as most aren't perfect quotes I didn't see it fit to put them here). And I've even thought about writing it on an index card to put on my mirror.

Instead what I think I'm going to do is change the emphasis. Any time something is written in italics it's for emphasis. Those are the words one must pay the most attention to.

Finally, bretheren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Now let's stop and think about how this can be applied to our lives. True, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtue, and praise are the words in question here. This scripture is telling us to think on these things. I'd even go so far as to say "seek after these things." (thirteenth article of faith anyone?)

But I think it's more than that. We shouldn't just seek after these things or think on these things. We should become these things. Lately this scripture has been my motto. I think about it every day and how I can become like each of these things. So we could change it even more.

Finally, bretheren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, become these things.

In short: Strive to become true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praise worthy.

It probably doesn't come as a surprise to anyone that these words describe Christ. And they can, in time, come to describe us. Sometimes I focus on one thing at a time. I say, "I want to work on being honest." And I work towards being more honest. I don't like to try to get myself to work on all of them at once. That's too hard and daunting.


Take it small and grow from there. Heavenly Father isn't expecting a huge change over night. And he's okay with that. He's the king of patience.


So how can we come to become these things? There are the usual answers: prayer, scripture study, and going to church, but there's more to it than that. Each one of these holds a different and very powerful meaning. Each one takes work and effort to improve in, and none of them are black and white. It's not as simple as say staying a virgin until marriage or not watching an R rated film. It's more than that. It takes work.

It takes the Holy Ghost.

When you were confirmed a member (assuming you were) you received the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the ultimate guide. He's the ultimate friend. He knows you and wants to lead you to your Heavenly Father. If you trust in the Holy Ghost you will never and I mean never be lead astray. You might go through some tough times or even some awkward times, but he will lead you to victory.

I don't talk often of the Holy Ghost because I think that's a personal thing. But the Holy Ghost really is a key role in this journey back to our Heavenly Father. We cannot progress in this great work without the Holy Ghost. We cannot become those things without the Holy Ghost. We can't do anything without the Holy Ghost. It is absolutely crucial to have the Holy Ghost if we are to endure this life.

I'm not going to tell you what you need to do to become each of those things. I would think everyone has a desire to become those things. Why wouldn't you? They're all wonderful. I will, however, address three that I think need to be explained. The rest can be looked up in the dictionary for help (I recommend the Bible Dictionary).

The first I want to explain is lovely. Most of us probably read that and think it means physical looks. I disagree. Yes, it does say it stands for beauty in the scriptures if you look down at the annotations but forget that for a moment.

I've always thought that being called lovely was the highest physical compliment one could give another. It's not the same as cute, hot, pretty, or even beautiful. Dictionary.com defines lovely as: having a beauty that appeals to the heart or mind as well as to the eye, as a person or a face. And also of a great moral or spiritual beauty.

Now we can apply it in a different way. When I think of this and how I can become this, I don't think about wearing makeup or pretty dresses. I think about being a person with great morals and a spiritual beauty. How wonderful is that phrase? Spiritual beauty. Spiritual beauty is one that never fades. It lasts forever.

How do we achieve spiritual beauty? Honestly I'm still working on that. But I would think that it's the same as having a beautiful and healthy body. You have to take care of your spirit, feed it with spiritual nutrition (scriptures, prayer, going to church), nourish and cleanse it (i.e. sacrament) and work out for it (fulfilling callings, being a servant of the Lord, service). And you have to love it and treat it with respect. (follow the commandments) When I look at it that way I've come to realize I know many people who are spiritually beautiful.

The next word is of good report. I don't want people to misunderstand this for "having a good reputation." So let me explain it as I see it. You are representatives of Christ and your Heavenly Father. You are. You make a promise to take his name upon yourself when you partake of the sacrament (or if you're like me you've been doing that your whole life). You need to be a good representative of your faith and your Savior and Father. By that I mean trying your best not to be a hypocrite, treating others as He would, and taking care of yourself spiritually.

This is in no way to sound like I'm attacking anyone for hypocrisy. If the world opened its eyes it would realize every single human being is a hypocrite and no one has the right to point fingers. But you should try to be the best representative you can be. You made a promise. That's huge. It's more than a promise. It's a covenant. You do that and Heavenly Father will bless you and make sure you may "always have the spirit to be with [you.]"

You don't want to offend your Savior by misusing his name, do you? I once heard a guy say when you do something against the commandments when you took the sacrament that week you're using the Lord's name in vain. Woah. How huge is that? It really got me thinking about how I could better strive to be of good report.

And the final one I wanted to dissect goes along with that. Praise worthy shouldn't be confused with of good report. This isn't vying for attention or hoping people praise you. When I look at this I don't think about getting praise from the world, the relief society, or even that guy I'm crushing on. I think about what I can do to earn praise from my Heavenly Father.

source: pinterest

Remember when you were a child and you were so excited when you did a good job on something and your parents praised you? Now imagine making your Heavenly Father praise you? It feels pretty good. And you know, He's pretty excited by the little things. He loves when we pray to Him and read our scriptures. He loves when we say hello to someone who's sitting by themselves. He loves when we go to the temple or say no to listening to a bad song. He loves those things and wants to praise us with blessings.

Don't seek praise from your fellow man. You'll always end up disappointed. Seek praise from your Heavenly Father. If you do anything praise worthy He will not let it go unnoticed. He will always recognize your efforts. He will always appreciate it. And He will always find a way to bless you. Why wouldn't you want to live in a way that would make Him praise you?

So these are the things I've come to know from one little scripture. And every day I strive to improve on these things little by little. Hopefully you've read this and have been inspired. Scriptures are powerful and can bring great joy and meaning into our lives. Remember to strive to think on these things, seek after these things, and become these things. And you will find your life will be fuller and richer. I promise.

Don't Be Intimidated. Just Try Your Best.

When I first moved to Utah I was really intimidated by the other women in my ward. They were all so pretty and well dressed and their skirts were all perfectly modest. They didn't struggle to make sure they weren't showing too much leg like myself. And they went to the temples weekly while I hadn't been to do temple work in almost two years. They went on dates almost every week, I hadn't been on a date in even longer than I'd been to the temple (let's not talk about it.). How on earth could I compare to these women?

Stop.

Don't be intimidated. Just try your best.

It's natural for us to compare ourselves and think we're not good enough. The important thing to understand in these situations is that is not of God. That is of Satan. God doesn't want to bring you down, he wants to uplift you. He wants you to return to him and be like him. Satan wants to bring you down and make you feel worthless like him.

Heavenly Father is aware of you and He's aware of your circumstances. And He knows your limits and what you can and cannot do. Despite all of our faults and weaknesses, He loves us. And He's not comparing us to others like we are.

I had to tell myself that a lot when I came here. "Heavenly Father knows what I've gone through. He knows my life and my desires and thoughts. He knows I'm trying my best." When I started thinking about it that way I wasn't hard on myself. I wasn't intimidated or discouraged.

If we start to look at our lives and the lives of those around us from an Eternal perspective we understand each one of us is in a new battle every day and we're all trying our best. We only see the outside. We don't know what's going on 100% of the time with everyone. I once heard this quote that said, "Don't compare your back stage to someone's spotlight." That hit me really hard, because I realized sometimes we see others succeed and are down on ourselves when our time is yet to come.

The best is yet to come, and won't that be fine

You think you've seen the sun, but you ain't seen it shine

-Frank Sinatra "The Best Is Yet To Come"

The natural man within us wants to tell us that we can't do it, we're not good enough, and wants to compare us to others. Do not let the natural man win. Don't you dare. You have divine potential in you. Let me repeat that, you have divine potential. And that's amazing. Our Savior has paved the way for us to follow in his footsteps. This is absolutely possible for each and every one of us. Don't let the natural man ruin that for you.

11 ¶I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the ^aswift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. - Ecclesiastes 9:11

Every one of us was born with wonderful and unique talents. Some of us are swift, others strong, many wise, and some rich in understanding. But we all have the equal opportunity and we're all fighting the same battle. It's not fair to compare yourself. Don't be intimidated, just try your best. Heavenly Father knows you and He knows you can do it. "Every trial He brings you to He'll bring you through."

We know our story. We know our weaknesses and our struggles and our triumphs. We don't know everyone else's story. So stop comparing. Stop being intimidated. What is it they say in that adorable Disney film? Oh yeah. "Keep moving forward."

As I got to know and befriend many of these intimidating women I realized we all had our ups and downs and we were all just trying to live worthy lives. They didn't judge me. They didn't put me down or wrinkle their nose at my imperfections. They welcomed me and loved me. And I love them. Truly I do.

I realized I shouldn't compare my circumstances with theirs. The Lord knows I try and understands even better than I do, and He won't hold me in a pedestal against anyone else. He doesn't compare because He knows what's in our hearts.

So stop comparing yourself to other members. Stop it. Right now. And remember the Lord loves you. And He's watching over you and He knows you. He has "engraved you in the palm of [His] hand." (Isaiah 49:16) And He wants you to know how much He loves you and how much He wants you to return to Him.

Don't forget that. Never forget that. Try your best. The Lord doesn't expect perfection. He merely expects you to try your best. And you can do it. You absolutely can. Everyone can. Don't be intimidated. Just try your best.

Scripture Studying for the Lazy

I'll be the first to admit I'm not very good at daily scripture study. I'm pretty good about prayer, but reading my scriptures always made me sleepy. So I've come up with some ways that help me to read my scriptures when I'm lazy, and in this new modern age of computers.

1. Pinterest

If you're not on Pinterest you're either a big fat liar or you're a man. But Pinterest is actually a really great site and I even recommend it to get you to study your scriptures. What? But Pinterest is so distracting! Interestingly enough there is a wonderful section in Pinterest known as the Quotes section. The majority of the quotes are made of up motivational quotes, those random pastel comedy cards (that are rarely funny), "thinspiration" crap, and oh yes, scriptures. And guess what? You can even find conference talks on there. Oh yes. I find plenty all the time. I love going on the quotes section and finding cute graphics with beautiful scriptures. And you know what, if you only read one, at least you're reading! Or maybe you can read many on Pinterest. I've even been inspired to look them up and to read the whole chapter. Do it. It helps.

Side note: there are also boards dedicated to LDS messages. Here are some of my favorites: LDS Quotes, LDS Church Pinterest, Deseret Book, Mormon Haven, Creative Quotes or you could follow my Pinterest Quotes board.

2. Your iPod,

I'm sure many of you have the scripture app. I sure do. Did you know it also counts as an audio book? Plug it in to your car radio or just listen on your speakers and play a chapter while you clean, drive, or sit around. Even if you're not paying attention 100% of the time you're still welcoming the spirit and it'll make you feel better. Another thing I'll do is if I'm in class or at church and I hear a scripture quote I like I write it down in my notes an leave it there. When I go though my notes on my iPod and see these random scripture references I look them up and read them. It's simple but it works!

3. Follows Blogs by Christians for Christians

Well first off if you're following this blog then props to you. There are tons of blogs on the blogsphere dedicated to religion and I'm sure you can find plenty. Hint hint: missionaries always talk about the scriptures so follow those blogs.

Side note: I even recently found this tumblr dedicated to spiritual inspiration for those who like tumblr. Also, to point out a great friend, here is my friend's blog on spiritual thoughts (to encourage her to continue writing for it ;]).

4. Like Church Pages on Facebook

I like several pages on Facebook dedicated to the church and it's teachings, so I'm always thrilled when they post up scripture references or stories. They post things meant to uplift us. And between all the complaining on Facebook about our horrible first world lives it's really great to see an uplifting message. I can't remember the page but I know one that offers scripture challenges. They'll ask a scripture related question then give the answer the next day. It's pretty great.

5. Around The House

You know those little papers and cute things you get in church that end up in your purse? Why not put them on your fridge? Or on your mirror? I had one that took a scripture from D&C but put my name in instead of Oliver Cauldry's and I kept it on my mirror to remind me of the message it has. Seeing these visuals also helps you stay in a Christ centered mood throughout the day as well.

These are all relatively simple, aren't they? You don't have to go to great lengths or be perfect about scripture study. These are all easy and can be done today. Interestingly enough this was actually the topic yesterday during Sacrament meeting (a very wonderful meeting too). I thought I'd share some of the tips given:

-Rather than studying in order, study by topic.
-Always pray before (and I would add always pray after to ask for clarification, to give gratitude, and let Heavenly Father know you're taking his guidance seriously).
-Check out the Bible Dictionary. It's an amazing weapon.
-Go somewhere quiet and make sure there are no distractions. Don't read on a bed or couch where you'll get tired.
-I don't necessarily believe in the "flip open and receive your answer" tactic but some people do this. It's worth a try.

The scriptures are a wonderful source of the Lord's wisdom and can help us in our day to day lives. I know they've blessed my life and the lives of many others and they are true. If you're like me and you struggle with scripture study then try little things like those above to help you. Soon enough you won't get enough of them.

The Difference Between Believing and Knowing

A missionary once spoke to our family about the difference between believing and knowing, and it was a lesson I'll never forget. He started by explaining how you can believe something but that doesn't mean you'll always believe in it. For example children often believe in Santa Clause but over time that belief fades. (Disclaimer: I believe in Jack Frost. I got your back Jack.)

However, when we know things, it's rooted in us and cannot be swayed. I know I am made up of cells. I know this. Nothing will change my knowledge of that. Likewise, I know God is real. This is something I know. (I recommend reading A Quest for Spiritual Knowledge by Boyd K. Packer on Knowing God Lives) But, this particular missionary decided to ask us if we knew the Book of Mormon was true.

I never thought about that question, so when he asked me I said no. I didn't know. I believed it was true but I didn't know it was true. This is crucial. Those words say so much more than one would think. It says I have not received the spiritual witness or come to know of the promises made in the Book of Mormon.

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how ^amerciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ^bponder it in your ^chearts.

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ^aask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not ^btrue; and if ye shall ask with a ^csincere heart, with ^dreal intent, having ^efaith in Christ, he will ^fmanifest the ^gtruth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may ^aknow the ^btruth of all things. - (Moroni 10:3-5)

So began my journey to discover if in fact I knew the Book of Mormon was true. I'm not going to get into the nitty gritty details. The bottom line is it was fairly simple. It wasn't like I had some huge miraculous moment where God showed himself to me and told me so (that's too easy) and it wasn't a long trial playing the "what if" game before I finally figured it out. God is a simple God and it was a pretty simple answer.

As I studied and thought about it, I came to find my answer wasn't grand or crazy or miraculous but simple. It went something like this: "You know the Book of Mormon is true, Janine. Of course it is."

I heard a talk once where a man described receiving a similar answer. When he asked if certain things were true right away the spirit would testify to him, "Of course it's true. You know it's true." And so it was for me.

I know I say that these are my beliefs, but this is really my knowledge of The Way. What needs to be understood is that the scriptures, the gospel, everything is not just beliefs. They're not just commandments, rules, or standards. They're knowledge of the deepest and greatest things which our Heavenly Father has so gladly bestowed upon us. The Book of Mormon, as I've come to know, is a book that leads us to eternal joy.

We can all come to know these things. Through Christ we can come to know all the things we must know. It's not hard. In fact you can start right now. There are young men and women right now willing to help each and every one of us, member and nonmember, to come to know these things. I also recommend reading this talk on Moroni's promise in the Book of Mormon and this fantastic article in the New Era by the equally fantastic Gordon B. Hinckley on the Book of Mormon.

I know the Book of Mormon is true and it can bring the greatest joy into our lives. I know the gospel is true, that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, and that Thomas S. Monson is the only true living prophet on this earth. I know this church is true and I know my Heavenly Father and Savior love us and they live.

I know.

Do you?

The Faith To Not Be Healed

source: lds.org

Last night was the CES fireside by Elder Bednar. Sadly I didn't bring a notebook to write notes (as I've been meaning to do more of) but that didn't mean that I didn't enjoy it or contemplate the message. Now while I do have more posts waiting to be published and ready to go, I figured I'd share my thoughts in regard to this talk.

First I would like to say if you haven't watched it you should do so before reading. You can view the CES fireside here. Now I probably won't take as much time to edit this as I do my other posts so bare with me and I apologize ahead of time.

Elder Bednar's talk spoke of "not shrinking" and "having the faith to not be healed." It's an interesting concept. My friend quoted a talk she heard once that said, "It takes more faith to not be healed than it does to have faith that you will be healed." (might not be an exact quote) I never really thought of it. I was always pretty darn sure of Heavenly Father. If I prayed for something I always thought, "I know you can do it Heavenly Father. You can do anything." I never thought to say, "I know you can give me this, or you could do this. And I'm okay with either outcome."

I can think of one instance in which I somewhat had "the faith to not be healed." But it wasn't about being healed. It had nothing to do with that. It was something else entirely. I've already written a long emotional post on this topic, and I'll share it soon, but I thought it'd be good to share this here.

In my decision to go on a mission I wrote a long journal entry, and in it I said I would choose a mission over career, even if I never have the chance to make my dreams come true. So essentially in prayer I said to my Heavenly Father I was willing to go on a mission and I was okay with giving up my career, and I would even be okay if I never got to have a chance at that career again.

That's hard. It's very hard. But I've accepted it. I'm not saying I have perfect faith or anything like that. Far from it. But already I've felt the blessings of this decision. It's not easy to step away from what you believe is best for you and what blessings you think you deserve to let Heavenly Father decide. But Heavenly Father has a plan for us and he wants us to be happy. Plus, come on, if there's anyone I want to put my trust in, it's the most powerful being in existence.

Choosing to fully and I mean fully accept his will is a huge act of faith. It's a great leap into the unknown. Had I chosen career, I have a pretty good idea of where my life would lead. But instead I've chosen to follow my Heavenly Father blindly. And that's hard. Of course I contemplate the possibilities of going for a career and succeeding, but what is worldly success to exaltation? If what we're doing isn't preparing us for eternal life then what's the use in doing it?

Now Elder Bednar also spoke of "not shrinking." I'm writing this with only the memory of his words since I can't read it yet, but my interpretation of this phrase was that we shouldn't let our faith and testimonies shrink.

Yesterday was fast and testimony meeting, and it must have been one of the most powerful meetings I'd ever been to. And I'm not saying that because I bore my testimony. No, I really was so touched by the spirit I didn't want it to end. I was so emotional I couldn't sing the closing hymn. When in such a setting how on earth can we let our testimonies shrink?

By building a firm foundation of faith we strengthen ourselves against Satan and the temptations of the natural man. It seems so simple but it has to be reiterated over and over again. We don't have one moment of faith and that's it. We're good. No, we have to work on it daily. We are in this fight for the rest of our lives. And it's tough. It is. If it wasn't it wouldn't be worth it.

Take into consideration stories in the scriptures. How many men do we read of who didn't shrink? And women I should add. Esther is a great example of not shrinking. If Esther shrank her people would have been killed. And she knew she herself could have been killed. But she did not shrink and was able to save her people. If Nephi shrank when his brothers were hard on him about building a boat they never would have made it to the Americas. If Abinidi shrank before the king and the judges Alma wouldn't have been converted and as a ripple effect many people would not have been touched by the spirit.

It's not just for us. It's for those whom lives we touch. Many of us know of someone who shrank or who are shrinking. Has it ever occurred to you that you can help change that? Or perhaps you're shrinking, and you don't know whether you want to or not. We have a wonderful Heavenly Father who is there to help us. He loves us. He cares about us. And he's there for us. But we need to seek him out. Heavenly Father can stop us from not shrinking unless we ask for it.

“We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man.”  - C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity 

To keep ourselves from shrinking we must, as the wonderful C.S. Lewis stated, "[get] nearer to the place where [we] want to be." By building our faith and strengthening our testimonies we are not shrinking. We are expanding our love and faith for our Heavenly Father and Savior. This in turn brings us closer to them and helps us to become more like our Savior, and helps us to be stronger.

Now when we put these two ideas together we get something truly powerful. To have the faith to not be healed (or whatever it is that applies to your life) and to not shrink is powerful. What this basically means is you would be putting your complete and total trust in the Lord.

"Father, if you be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." Luke 22: 42

This is hard. It is. It's okay to admit that. As Elder Bednar explained, the natural man wants things to go his way. We want Heavenly Father to give us the blessings we think are best for us. To step back and say, "Okay Heavenly Father, whatever you decide is what will be. I'm okay with this. I trust you." is hard. It takes a lot of faith. And it doesn't come right away. It takes much pondering and prayer.

It takes a tremendous amount of faith.

And yet, it is possible for all of us to have this faith. Do you think Elder Bednar spoke to the young adults just to intimidate them into thinking they can't have this sort of faith? Nope. As I was pondering this talk and the beautiful testimonies yesterday I realized there were so many amazing people in my ward who had this sort of tremendous faith. And I wanted to be more like that too. But that's just my ward. One ward in the entire world.

Elder Bednar wouldn't say that if it was only true of my ward. This is true of Latter Day Saints the world over. Everywhere we can find saints with this sort of tremendous faith, just as we can obtain this sort of faith as well. It's possible. Anything is possible through Christ and our Heavenly Father.

I hope I can have the faith described in Elder Bednar's talk for the rest of my life. Just as I hope everyone will reach that level of faith. Faith is a powerful tool in the constant war against Satan. Faith is the drum line in the Lord's band, and the foundation of all religion. Without faith we are nothing. We can do nothing. And we cannot progress in the Lord's great work.

Now we must ask ourselves, "Do I have the faith to not be healed? Will I shrink?" Here's hoping the answer is "Yes I do have the faith, and no I will not shrink." And if not, I hope you are willing to work towards that answer.