The Gospel is True.

I couldn't help but share about my fantastic day....

At the beginning of the day, my book of mormon class went over to the visitors center at temple square to watch the joseph smith movie. Eventhough I was a little bit late to the movie the spirit was so powerful. I can't even express all the impressions I had in my heart. My "allergies" were really getting to me though. I just kept thinking of how much the pioneers endured back then, from persecution and personal physical tribulations. I thought of something a bishop had said once to the youth of the ward and how the pioneers were looking down on with hope and amazement of what WE have to endure. This thought kept coming to me during the movie andI couldnt help but think how wonderful these people were from these times. Overall my testimony of Joseph Smith grew, not only for the knowledge I have that he was a prophet, but that he was just a GOOD person.

My testimony on temples has dramatically been increased in the last couple weeks too. Just talking about the spirit within the temple walls intices me to learn more.

I yet again had the opportunity to attend the open house for the Draper temple.

As I walked through the temple with one of my closest friends I explained to her that a temple is a place of learning about who we are, where we came from, and what we will become.
She was asking all sorts of questions and her eyes were opened so wide everytime we turned the corner. I was grateful once again to be sealed to a family where I can continue to dwell and progress with them. How simple and precious are the truths of the gospel! They aren't complicated but orderly and so beautiful!

I'm anxious when the time comes to some day go through the temple for myself. To learn in depth about my purpose and help those who are waiting, even at this time, for me to help them cross into paradise. My curiousity continues to grow within me as I continue to learn more and more about this gospel. About the most that I can say is how grateful I am for what I've been blessed with.

Hard Times

About two weeks ago I decided to take "weekend getaway" to Arizona. On the Thursday before after pacing my house back and forth I finally buckled down and bought my ticket around 4AM. I was SO tired but kept debating whether or not to go.

The week prior I was just curious and looked up plane ticket prices for the rest of the semester, nearly 300$. I thought, ridiculous! I'll wait till the fall to visit home again. The week of, I found myself checking online again. Funny that I found myself checking for that weekend... Things started to come in place. I got paid more than I needed to that week, tithing was paid for, my temple recommend was going to expire the day after I would get back (so I could go the weekend I was there), the plane ticket was about 1/4 of price that I thought it would be! Friends tried to convince me that I was crazy, although I already knew that I was. I decided to get on my knees and pray. "Heavenly Father, I'M CRAZY!"..is about all I could get out. I was making a big deal out of it because doing spontaneous trips like that for me was out of the question. All it took was a brother to tell me to "live a little" and a friend to tell me to "just do it", and I was ONE flight away!

I decided if I were to make the trip up to Arizona that I would make the trip for time spent with my parents. I can't believe how homesick I was until I got on the plane. When I got on the plane, after a daze up in the sky, I looked out the window and saw the rocks change colors from white to red. I wanted to cry. I felt my heart swell within me and a smile started to curl up on my face. There is something about home that will never go away. I hoped the feeling wouldn't disappear after seeing surprised looks from my parents! :)

Needless to say, my parents were thrilled to see me but I think I was more rewarding for me being there. There is always much to learn just being in the presence of your parents. The spirit just poured off of them and into my heart that weekend. I was able to go to the temple to do baptisms that weekend and eat lunch with my dad in the cafeteria there. Fortunately enough my mom bore her testimony through the Relief Society lesson on Sunday and the tears rolled fervently down my face. The closing song was "families can be together forever". How appropriate, I thought. The feeling of the song came to my eyes before the words came to my mouth so I just listened through the spirit and the beautiful voices of the women around me. That night I was privileged enough to receive a blessing from my grandfather "poppy". The words that he spoke in the blessing pierced my very heart and I couldn't help but be grateful of the Love he had for me and my Heavenly Father after I heard the words, Amen.



When I came home the spirit dwelt within me for a long time, I felt renewed. Unfortunately, sometimes, the ways of the world have a way of creeping themselves in your heart. I've tried to stay positive as I've noticed some rough patches that I can't avoid in my life but at times it seems nearly impossible. Your environment of which you surround yourself cause huge impact on your life. If you aren't in good situations your unlikely to do your best. Sometimes "home" doesn't feel like home, so I try to make other places in my life, 'home', or a safe haven.

Through each experience in life, there is always a lesson to be learned. Right now I am learning patience and optimism, faith and diligence, prayer and scripture study. By simple gospel principles you can build mountains! I've decided to not get so caught up in the big "truths" of the world but through the small and simple things and I've come to realize the beauty in trials and life. I will just have to keep the attitude of Christ even if it seems that "the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee..." I will try to keep in mind that "all these things shall give me good experience and will be for my good.