Pornography-Is it all that bad?

As a missionary we get to talk to people from all walks of life. Recently I've been talkin to the high school guys about the subject of pornography.
I asked them what they thought about it and if they considered it even wrong to engage in it. I think these boys are good boys with good hearts. I think they want to do what's right-I think the main thing is they just aren't being led by anyone to do so.

I'm writing this for those of you who think porn is a fun pastime, something to do when you're bored or lonely...and for those who are addicted and have convinced themselves that it's a worthwhile activity.

First I'd like to let all of you know that the reason I am writing this isn't out of anger or hate for those involved in pornography. Those that know me personally would know that it comes with love, with concern and I wish to inform those not aware of how bad pornography really is.

As always I will be blunt but I will try to keep it unprofain as I am talking about a very vulgar subject.

 For those of you seeking to quit or find help-there is always hope. I know that Christ can and will heal any wound from those willing to let him do so. God loves you and no matter who you are or what you do--He is there for you to lift you up. (This site is for those who want to research more of the affects..for those struggling with it and want help and for warning signals of those addicted.)

I write this with love.. and I also hope that you see where I'm coming from and acknowledge that porn really isn't worth it.

We made a survey and had different boys fill it out. Their ages ranged from 14-20. At one instance when we had boys filling out surveys and we talked to them about the survey and what they thought as they filled it out.
Some boys were very honest and sincere. Some said they started watching pornography when they were young around 8 or 10 while some said they "started late" around 16. One boy said he stole a magazine when he was 12 from a store while another said he found a magazine from his Dad in his room which started them looking at it.
As we talked I realized that these boys were sometimes encouraged to look at porn..that at times it was part of the growing up process in their view and it was the cool thing to do and also healthy.

I learned a lot from our time with those boys but I hope they in turn learned something from me.
I asked them if I could be honest with them and they listened up. I told them I had a friend who was abused by someone addicted to pornography..I told them pornography eats at you. It destroys you. It makes you become a slave. Some men become addicts and force others to do what they've seen. A lot of child molesters and sexual crimes are caused by men who claimed their problem started with an addiction to pornography.

I told these dear boys that pornography is as addictive as drugs, if not more. I've studied it and some men have claimed that it is even harder to quit than cocaine. I told these boys that these images they see are not lifeless creatures. The women are not objects to be viewed but they are someone's mom, sister, friend, cousin or daughter. Sexual intercourse is not be viewed for pleasure..it is a sacred act to be used only between a husband and wife and not to be shared.

Some boys admitted to being addicted and said that it makes you look at every girl and wonder what she looks like underneath her clothing. They agreed you start to see the world differently.

Some of them believed in God. I told them if you believe in God-you have to believe in the devil. He is as real as God is. Satan wants to make you miserable. He wants you to become addicted to things that start out as a mere curiosity that turns into an addiction and leaves you feeling miserable.
A couple boys told me that they feel miserable after they watch it. One boy said: "Everyone knows it's wrong deep down..if it wasn't wrong you wouldn't have to look at it in a dark room alone."
I then asked those boys if they thought pornography was bad-most that I saw said yes.

These are not irregular boys. They are regular boys in high school.
I would guess most of them have never been taught that porn is bad or even addictive or distructive.
I asked them:If God  told you to stop-would you?
Please hear my cry to all of you. Porn is a drug. You can't erase those thoughts that go into your head. You will never be satisfied from looking at pornography. You are far better off without it.

Pornography comes in all froms not just on xxx sites. Movies now portray people having sex and have very illicit scenes. Women barely wear clothing on most magazine covers. Looking at the magazine rack to my right in the library I can see 15 covers of women who are bearing far too much skin for my taste. TV shows are sometimes based on sex in general. It's not called porn but don't fool yourself and say it isn't!

Be aware of the problem. Don't think it's ok or it's healthy and you need it.You are stronger than that!!
Marriages and relationships will be so much stronger and lasting without it. You will be happier without it.

God loves us. We are His children. He wants us to be happy. He asks us to refrain from pornography in all forms. As a woman I would hope my husband will have complete fidelity with me. I hope he doesn't look at other women and lust after them. I hope he doesn't need to satisfy his desires from an imaginary world.
You don't need it either.
If you still aren't convinced watch these clips below.

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/standing-up?lang=eng&id=2001-08-04-standing-up-pornography#2001-08-04-standing-up-pornography (this one is very powerful and very informative)

What is the Law of Chastity and Why keep it?

What I'm about to write about is a serious topic. I do not want it to be taken lightly or to be joked about because it is very sacred to me. I will be blunt and honest as possible because I believe what it says in the scriptures-I delight in clarity.
I truly believe those who break the Law of Chastity do not understand what it is exactly and why it is so important. My goal in this blog is to help others understand those things more fully so they can keep their lives happy and free from disappointment and heartache that always comes with the breaking of this commandment.
 I will quote quite frequently from Elder Holland's talk he gave at BYU. I encourage everyone to read the talk fully because I had a really hard time not just copy and pasting the whole thing it's so good!

If you think Mormons are the only ones who live the Law of Chastity-check out this video..

This blog is VERY LONG I know! But I'm calling it a reference blog. If you have questions about the law of chastity..this has the what's and the why's in basic form.
There is so much more to be said about it. Feel free to skim, read specific parts or refer it to others who have questions. Good luck to those who read it start to finish! : )

So let's start out with exactly..
what is The Law of Chastity?

In the Strength of Youth Pamphelt it states under Sexual Purity:

Physical intimacy between husband and wife is beautiful and sacred. It is ordained of God for the creation of children and for the expression of love between husband and wife.

 God has commanded that sexual intimacy be reserved for marriage.

The Lord’s standard regarding sexual purity is clear and unchanging.

• Do not have any sexual relations before marriage, and be completely faithful to your spouse after marriage.
• Do not allow the media, your peers, or others to persuade you that sexual intimacy before marriage is acceptable. It is not. In God’s sight, sexual sins are extremely serious.
• Never do anything that could lead to sexual transgression.
• Treat others with respect, not as objects used to satisfy lustful and selfish desires.
•  Before marriage, do not participate in passionate kissing, lie on top of another person, or touch the private, sacred parts of another person’s body, with or without clothing.
• Do not do anything else that arouses sexual feelings.
• Do not arouse those emotions in your own body.
• Do not participate in discussions or any media that arouse sexual feelings.
• Do not participate in any type of pornography.
• Homosexual and lesbian behavior is a serious sin. If you find yourself struggling with same-gender attraction or you are being persuaded to participate in inappropriate behavior, seek counsel from your parents and bishop. They will help you.
• Victims of sexual abuse are not guilty of sin and do not need to repent. If you have been a victim of abuse, know that you are innocent and that God loves you. Talk to your parents or another trusted adult, and seek your bishop’s counsel immediately.

-For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet

Ok so those are the what's..if you have any further questions talk to your Bishop or you can read further  in the Law of Chastity section of the For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet.

Generally I would say we know what most of the 'what's' are with the Law of Chastity..

but the why's are sometimes not as often talked about.
Elder Holland begins his talk by saying:

"My topic is that of human intimacy, a topic as sacred as any I know and more sacred than anything I have ever addressed from this podium. If I am not careful and you are not supportive, this subject can slide quickly from the sacred into the merely sensational, and I would be devastated if that happened. It would be better not to address the topic at all than to damage it with casualness or carelessness. Indeed, it is against such casualness and carelessness that I wish to speak. So I ask for your faith and your prayers and your respect."
Please do the same for me in this blog.

So we all know the obvious consequences of breaking the law of chastity. His statistics he uses are years old but still frightening.

In America 3,000 adolescents become pregnant each day. A million a year. Four out of five are unmarried. More than half get abortions. "Babies having babies."[Babies] killing [babies]. ["What's Gone Wrong with Teen Sex," People,13 April 1987, p. 111]


That same national poll indicated nearly 60 percent of high school students in "mainstream" America had lost their virginity, and 80 percent of college students had. The Wall Street Journal (hardly in a class with the National Enquirer) recently wrote,


AIDS [appears to be reaching] plague[like] proportions. Even now it is claiming innocent victims: newborn babies and recipients of blood transfusions. It is only a matter of time before it becomes widespread among heterosexuals. . . .
AIDS should remind us that ours is a hostile world. . . . The more we pass ourselves around, the larger the likelihood of our picking something up. . . .
Whether on clinical or moral grounds, it seems clear that promiscuity has its price. [Wall Street Journal, 21 May 1987, p. 28]


So these are some good reasons why not to break the law of chastity.
I believe, as a philosopher once said,

tell me sufficiently why a thing should be done, and I will move heaven and earth to do it.

I will tell you the reasons why I (and Elder Holland) think keeping the Law of Chastity will highly benefit you in your lifetime.
"Why be morally clean?" First is the doctrine behind it.
First:You are not your own.

Your body is not your body. You are bought with a price.
The purchase price for our fullness of joy--body and spirit eternally united--is the pure and innocent blood of the Savior of this world.
We cannot then say in ignorance or defiance,
"Well, it's my life," or worse yet, "It's my body." It is not.
"Ye are not your own," Paul said.
"Ye are bought with a price."
We have been taught to look upon these bodies of ours as gifts from God.
We regard [the body] as the sign of our royal birthright.
Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord...
Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. . . .
Flee fornication. . . . He that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. . . .

. . . Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?


For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. [1 Corinthians 6:13-20 ]
Our bodies are a gift from God. What you do with it is your choice but there are consequences in doing against God's will.
Meaning..there will be consequences for our actions if we misuse our gifts, our bodies, from God.
God cares most about life-that means the way we come into this world and the way we leave it.

"It is LDS doctrine that sexual transgression is second only to murder in the Lord's list of life's most serious sins."

"As for the taking of life, we are generally quite responsible. Most people, it seems to me, readily sense the sanctity of life and as a rule do not run up to friends, put a loaded revolver to their heads, and cavalierly pull the trigger. Furthermore, when there is a click of the hammer rather than an explosion of lead, and a possible tragedy seems to have been averted, no one in such a circumstance would be so stupid as to sigh,
"Oh, good. I didn't go all the way." "


So some people think that it really isn't that damaging. They're in love (or lust I would think) usually and do not understand what they are physically and spiritually doing to their soul.
So what does this have to do with a soul? The soul has two parts-The Body and The Spirit.
The body and the soul are interlinked.
In answer to the question,
 "Why does God care so much about sexual transgression?" it is partly because of the precious gift offered by and through his Only Begotten Son to redeem the souls--bodies and spirits--we too often share and abuse in cheap and tawdry ways.
He would not have suffered and died for you if it was 'not a big deal'.


"Second, may I suggest that human intimacy, that sacred, physical union ordained of God for a married couple, deals with a symbol that demands special sanctity."
When we get married we make a symbol of complete union of our hearts, hopes, lives, love, family, future..everything.
"The Prophet Joseph Smith once said we perhaps ought to render such a sacred bond as "welding"--that those united in matrimony and eternal families are "welded" together, inseparable if you will, to withstand the temptations of the adversary and the afflictions of mortality."
When you are married it is waaaaayyyy more than just legally binding. It is not just done to get tax cuts or to have a pretty wedding. It is binding in the eyes of God. It is very significant. It is not something to be taken lightly.


The following is the part of Elder Holland's talk that matters the most to me. It is bold and powerful and I encourage you to heed his plee.


"But such a total, virtually unbreakable union, such an unyielding commitment between a man and a woman, can only come with the proximity and permanence afforded in a marriage covenant, with the union of all that they possess--their very hearts and minds, all their days and all their dreams.
They work together, they cry together, they enjoy Brahms and Beethoven and breakfast together, they sacrifice and save and live together for all the abundance that such a totally intimate life provides such a couple."


"That commandment cannot be fulfilled, and that symbolism of "one flesh" cannot be preserved, if we hastily and guiltily and surreptitiously share intimacy in a darkened corner of a darkened hour, then just as hastily and guiltily and surreptitiously retreat to our separate worlds--
not to eat or live or cry or laugh together, not to do the laundry and the dishes and the homework, not to manage a budget and pay the bills and tend the children and plan together for the future. No, we cannot do that until we are truly one--united, bound, linked, tied, welded, sealed, married."


You must wait--
you must wait until you can give everything, and you cannot give everything until you are at least legally and, for Latter-day Saint purposes, eternally pronounced as one.
To give illicitly that which is not yours to give (remember--"you are not your own") and to give only part of that which cannot be followed with the gift of your whole heart and your whole life and your whole self is its own form of emotional Russian roulette.
If you persist in sharing part without the whole, in pursuing satisfaction devoid of symbolism, in giving parts and pieces and inflamed fragments only, you run the terrible risk of such spiritual, psychic damage that you may undermine both your physical intimacy and your wholehearted devotion to a truer, later love.
You may come to that moment of real love, of total union, only to discover to your horror that what you should have saved has been spent, and--mark my words--only God's grace can recover that piecemeal dissipation of your virtue.

If we relate to each other in fragments, at best we miss full relationships. At worst, we manipulate and exploit others for our gratification. Sexual fragmentation can be particularly harmful because it gives powerful physiological rewards which, though illusory, can temporarily persuade us to overlook the serious deficits in the overall relationship. Two people may marry for physical gratification and then discover that the illusion of union collapses under the weight of intellectual, social, and spiritual incompatibilities. . . .
Sexual fragmentation is particularly harmful because it is particularly deceptive. The intense human intimacy that should be enjoyed in and symbolized by sexual union is counterfeited by sensual episodes which suggest--
but cannot deliver--acceptance, understanding, and love. Such encounters mistake the end for the means as lonely, desperate people seek a common denominator which will permit the easiest, quickest gratification. [Victor L. Brown, Jr., Human Intimacy: Illusion and Reality (Salt Lake City, Utah: Parliament Publishers, 1981), pp. 5-6]


Our sexuality has been animalized, stripped of the intricacy of feeling with which human beings have endowed it, leaving us to contemplate only the act, and to fear our impotence in it. It is this animalization from which the sexual manuals cannot escape, even when they try to do so, because they are reflections of it. They might [as well] be textbooks for veterinarians. [Fairlie, Seven Deadly Sins, p. 182]


A caution to men:
In this matter of counterfeit intimacy and deceptive gratification, I express particular caution to the men who hear this message. I have heard all my life that it is the young woman who has to assume the responsibility for controlling the limits of intimacy in courtship because a young man cannot. What an unacceptable response to such a serious issue! What kind of man is he, what priesthood or power or strength or self-control does this man have that lets him develop in society, grow to the age of mature accountability, perhaps even pursue a university education and prepare to affect the future of colleagues and kingdoms and the course of the world, but yet does not have the mental capacity or the moral will to say, "I will not do that thing"?

No one man [or woman], however brilliant or well-informed, can come in one lifetime to such fullness of understanding as to safely judge and dismiss the customs or institutions of his society, for these are the wisdom of generations after centuries of experiment in the laboratory of history. A youth boiling with hormones will wonder why he should not give full freedom to his sexual desires; and if he is unchecked by custom, morals, or laws, he may ruin his life [or hers] before he matures sufficiently to understand that sex is a river of fire that must be banked and cooled by a hundred restraints if it is not to consume in chaos both the individual and the group. [Will and Ariel Durant, The Lessons of History (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1968), pp. 35-36]


Indeed, most tragically, it is the young woman who is most often the victim, it is the young woman who most often suffers the greater pain, it is the young woman who most often feels used and abused and terribly unclean. And for that imposed uncleanliness a man will pay, as surely as the sun sets and rivers run to the sea.

 Does any of this help you understand why human intimacy is such a serious matter?

 Why it is so right and rewarding and stunningly beautiful when it is within marriage and approved of God (not just "good" but "very good," he declared to Adam and Eve), and so blasphemously wrong--like unto murder--when it is outside such a covenant?
It is my understanding that we park and pet and sleep over and sleep with at the peril of our very lives. Our penalty may not come on the precise day of our transgression, but it comes surely and certainly enough, and were it not for a merciful God and the treasured privilege of personal repentance, far too many would even now be feeling that hellish pain, which (like the passion we have been discussing) is also always described in the metaphor of fire.
Someday, somewhere, sometime the morally unclean will, until they repent, pray like the rich man, wishing Lazarus to "dip . . . his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame"
If some few of you are feeling the "scars that have come to you in places where you ought not have gone,"

I wish to extend to you the special peace and promise available through the atoning sacrifice of

the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you have not been following it-start now. You can always stop. You can always turn back. No matter how far you've gone you can still be healed-but only through Christ. You cannot do it alone. But I know-I KNOW that this is a Commandment of God. I KNOW it will bless your life because it has blessed mine-abundantly. Living this commandment is a gift not a burden. If you don't believe me..if these statistics and deadly promises are not frightening enough..if you have not seen the awful affects on a friend or loved one then live it and see how it will benefit you. The way to know is by testing it out.
I know you will NEVER EVER REGRET living the Law of Chastity.

Top 10 Reasons Why I love being a Missionary

Now that my mission is coming closer to a close, I've taken time to reflect on the things I've learned. I've learned I love being a missionary. Although I could write a million different reasons and examples of why I love my mission and what I've learned I've tried to summarize it to 10 different categories.

Every missionary and mission is different, but these are my 10 reasons why I LOVE being a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

1) Closer to God and Christ

As a missionary you pray more than ever before in your life. You feel God's love guiding you and directing you along the way through the Holy Ghost. Their love and support really can lift you up and carry you through anything. The times that have been the hardest on my mission I have felt God's love for me the most.

I truly have come closer to my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that He has felt everything I have and understands me. I've learned to rely on His guidance because I realize I am nothing without God. God trusts me when I do what He asks, and He has blessed me abundantly. We may feel at times that God 'owes us' something for what we've done..but really we are eternally in debt to Him. I learned to turn my will to God. I decided to do whatever He asks because I've come to realize that He truly does know what is best for me.

Alma 29:9-10  I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do ^anot ^bglory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

2)Learn to Love

The amount of love you feel for others I think triples..at least. You can literally feel God's love for others. It is a beautiful thing to feel. You may not know them very well..but you literally know they are a child of God and can feel the love from heaven for them. The meaning of love changes to something deeper and more profound than ever.

The scripture 2 Nephi 33:3 becomes very real when Nephi says: I ^bpray continually for them by day, and mine ^ceyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.

They become your family. My companions, the people I've taught, my neighbors..anyone I have come in contact with I can feel love for them I never would have felt before. Love is different..it is purer it is deeper. My capability to love has increased.  Even with the dissapointments..no matter what others do..you will always love them because you have learned to have a taste of what Christ-like love is really like. Alma 29:1-2 
3) Closer to Family

 1 O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the ^atrump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!

 2 Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and ^acome unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.

Even though you may be miles away from your family..you grow closer to them than ever before. I have never felt so much love from my family or have had so much love for them. You realize how much they've done for you..sacrificed and prayed for you. I literally feel my family's prayers lifting me up so I can go on. 
Every P-Day (Monday) we have the opportunity to read their emails and email them back. The letters of encouragement and support overwhelm me. I see how blessed I really am. My teenage self would have never beleived I would come to be this way! My parents example for me has really helped me in my mission because of the good people that they are and I've become more grateful for them. You may miss them from time to time but you know they are in the Lord's hands and He loves them. They may have made mistakes before but I know they did their best and I hope that they realize it's the same way with me.  

4)Seeing the Gospel Change Lives

Seeing the joy of the Gospel in people's lives is my greatest treasure I have found on my mission. I have seen people's countenance's literally change. I have seen the glow of the Spirit on their face after they received an answer to their prayers. When they've said "I know the Book of Mormon is true" or "I felt God's love for me"..that moment for me is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever experienced in this life. 
 Some people have to completely change their lifestyle for God--and they do it. They have challenges but God helps them overcome them. To see people once bitter and now peaceful..once a broken home to now healing..to willingly follow God and leave their troubles behind.. is a miracle. My family back home has changed as well and myself. My testimony builds everytime someone else's testimony is.

5) Self Discipline

I have never had more self disciplilne. Waking up at 6:30 am is just one of the many things that are part of the gig as a missionary. You  learn to stay occupied. You are never idle. If you are, you realize you need to be doing something productive. Life becomes an opportunity to do..not just live through. I have learned I feel more accomplished when I'm doing things I may not exactly want to do but it feels so much better than being lazy and do what I would typically want to do. I want to be successful and productive and not lazy. I can do hard things! You also learn to put your pride and insecurities on a shelf. I have set this time to dedicate to the Lord..it's no time to hold back and be selfish. You put away 'worldly' things such as dating or listening to regular music or watching movies and tv for this time.
It may sound hard but I consider those things part of the easiest things to put on hold while being a missionary.  I've found that living this way I'm able to enjoy life in a more simpler way which may also be a fuller way..life isn't about watching movies, although I do enjoy them! 

6) Meet People I would have never met before

I love meeting new people! I have met so many people I never would have met before if it wasn't for being a missionary. We get to randomly talk to people on the street about God, their lives and future and dreams.
 I've known people for 5 minutes who have told me their life story and cried telling me that God was there for them in the darkest times of their life. It is such a humbling, beautiful experience to witness that. Everyone out here has helped me in some way. My companions, fellow missionaries, neighbors, people in the church, people we teach and random strangers. I've been able to be apart of their lives and that means so much to me. I have created friendships that will last forever.

7) Understanding Increase of the Gospel

I've learned so much more about the scriptures and the Gospel it's unbelievable. For the first time in my life I feel like I'm understanding the scriptures and making sense of the stories and how to apply them in my life and in others. The Lord has really helped me understand His Gospel and what that even means.I love reading the scriptures! You also remember scriptures and where they are--especially at a moment's need. The Holy Ghost has finally been able to teach me from the scriptures everyday because I dedicate the time and the Spirit is able to guide and direct me through my studies. I know that the reason this is happening is so I can teach it to God's children and help them come closer to Him.

8) Marriage Prep
There's no kinda marriage prep like a mission! You literally are with someone 24/7 who you may or may not get along with. You learn quickly communication is key and that the way to solve problems is through comprimises. Sometimes there really isn't a right or a wrong and your opinion is not fact haha. It helps to be away from home where you can't exactly lean on mom and dad to help you out constantly. The people you teach are in a way..like your children. You worry about them. You LOVE them. You pray about them for their concerns and needs and less for your own.

There is a thing called 'Comp Inventory' we do weekly where you start off by telling them goals you want to set. Then you tell each other what you think the other one is good at or just compliments. Then you ask for improvement and solve conflicts and then set goals to help resolve the conflicts. Then you close with a prayer. It is a tool that I feel has been priceless to me as I've learned to express myself and to tell others of my feelings. You definetly learn to pick your battles! You learn to see what you want in your own family and things that you do not want. You realize you really can make any relationship work if both sides are willing to try.

 9) Service

I love doing service! I have found joy in serving others everyday. I look for opportunities to serve..something I rarely did before my mission. I thought of work as a negative word. It meant I had to put out effort.

Now I love to work. It feels so good to accomplish things and to feel exhausted at the end of the day because you know you are trying your best. I love not feeling selfish and looking to lift others up. You become less focused on yourself-which everyone needs. It also can be really fun!

Alma 29:14 But I do not joy in my own ^asuccess alone, but my joy is more full because of the success of my brethren, who have been up to the land of Nephi.

10) Understanding Life

I have found true joy in this experience. My purpose has become clearer. Why I'm here..what I need to do and that I'm really meant to help others--not just myself--come back to Christ. Worldly pleasures are no longer necessary. The commandments and being obedient make me happy. I love the Strength of Youth pamphlet! The church rules and guidelines make sense and bring joy in my life. I love knowing what God expects of me because I have greater joy when I am doing what He wants of me. God has created our lives and given us the perfect chance to grow.  

 Alma 29:16 Now, when I think of the success of these my brethren my soul is carried away, even to the separation of it from the body, as it were, so great is my ^ajoy.

 17 And now may God grant unto these, my brethren, that they may sit down in the kingdom of God; yea, and also all those who are the fruit of their labors that they may go no more out, but that they may praise him forever. And may God grant that it may be done according to my words, even as I have spoken. Amen.

And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember ^awhat the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.

Click HERE to view 10 things every missionary should know! 

Changing is Growing

As human beings sometimes we take offense when someone tells us that we need to change. We tend to instantly put a guard up and deny it.Why is it such a big deal? Why is changing such an offensive thought?
One of my very good friends wrote to me about this exact topic. He told me not to worry about changing..that it's inevitable..it's more like I'm growing. He explained it like when you're 3 and your parents just gave you a pair of shoes to try on from your older sibling. They would say: "Oh don't worry-you'll grow into them."
So we are all growing..but why not help yourself grow in the right direction?

For instance, if you have a tomato plant..you put sticks next to the plant to support it so it grows the correct way. If you didn't put that there the tomato plant wouldn't grow up effectively and wouldn't be able to have delicious tomatoes. It's the same with us. We have to put out an effort-we have to be aware of who we are and what we're doing so we grow in the right direction. Just like any good ol' tomato plant..it takes time, sun, water and good soil to bring about good tomatoes.

If you want to do anything in life you can't just sit around and hope it happens. You have to act! It takes work. But is it worth it? Of course. Anything good is worth hard work. I have never regretted working hard in my life. I have regretted being a slacker or a procastinator and letting opportunities pass me by.

So stop worrying about the outcomes and being scared of the future. Take it in your hands and make the change, grow in the right direction.

If you aren't sure about what direction than pray, ask your Heavenly Father-He always knows what way is best. With the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can overcome any obstacle..even if we are our own obstacle.

Commandments are Cool

Is this how you view the Commandments?

Sometimes we view the commandments as a list of can'ts that hold us back in life. We look at all the commandments and say: "I can't do all that..it's too much." "He asks too much" or "that sounds lame".

I think we all have felt that from time to time..but the trick is trying it out. Actually living the rules and seeing if they work out. 

Why live the commandments? We ask why a lot don't we? I do. Why do I have to work? Why do I have to eat? Why do I have to sleep? I could literally ask why about anything and if you know a 4 year old I'm sure they've asked you why a million times..seems like we never grow out of it.

The thing is with God-we can trust Him. We don't always have to know the Why to know that it is a good thing for us to do.

But, we can test Him to make sure either way..

As a Mormon I have been asked by many people Why I'm a Mormon and mainly because of all the 'crazy rules' we have. Others think that I miss out on fun or what life really is about-but they couldn't be more wrong. I am enjoying life and it's because I do what God asks. I trust Him. I know He knows what's best for me.

Ya it may all be a lil overwelming..but that's why Christ's Gospel is so simple.

He asks us to follow him and we will have Eternal Life. Eternal Life=Eternal Happiness.

He doesn't expect us to do it alone either-he's here to help us, all we have to do is ask.

My friend Al made this video..she hasn't always been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints so she knows what it's like to not live by 'all these rules'.

As you watch this video you can tell-she's truly happy! She took the challenge-she lived the way that God asks and she never turned back.

It's the same for all of us. Just try it out. Try living the Commandments-all of them.

 I promise you will be happier than ever before. why not?

Happiness is a choice

I woke up this morning feeling like a train had run over me! I just went ugh noooo I do NOT want to feel like this the whole day. I got up and really just continued to mope about the house in a grumpy mood. Then I realized, you know what-if I don't want to feel like this the rest of the day.. I don't have to.
I know some days it's easier to do it than others but I really feel like our happiness is up to us. What we decide is the consequence of our happiness.
I talk about happiness a lot because for me if I'm not happy..I want to do whatever I can to be happy again. I do not like feeling sad or depressed or angry at all. Life is hard. Sometimes it's hard to be happy. But today I chose to be happy and honestly I've felt really good all day even though it didn't start off well.
Awhile back I read a scripture to my friend Hermana Robinson and last week she wrote me a letter and reminded me of it. It says: " For ye shall go out with ^ajoy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the ^btrees of the field shall clap their hands." (Isaiah 55:12)

That scripture just makes me happy! I decided to walk out today and envision that scripture and although cheesy and a lil odd it was cool because I just felt happy. Today I went out with joy and was lead in peace. I felt like around me the world was singing and dancing haha. I really don't have any specific reason other than I know who I am, I know why I'm here and I'm doing what God asks, and I decided today to be grateful for that.

I added this video because I chose today to be happy. I asked my Heavenly Father for His help, I read His advice for me (the scriptures) and it helped me start my day the right way. I know by choosing to serve Him today I felt His love for me and that means I felt happy : )

When I was in middle school my principal would say everyday: "Make it a great day or not, the choice is yours." Even though when I was that age I didn't agree with her, I know she was right. It is our choice everyday. We can choose to be happy. If you don't know how-ask me! I know what it feels like to be the saddest person in the world, but I also know what it also feels like to be the happiest person in the world.

It starts with ourselves. Ask yourself if you really are happy. Are you just complacent with being ok? I know true joy is just around the corner. Start with a simple prayer. Choose to follow Christ and that is choosing to have happiness.

A New Year: How to make it your best year yet!

Happy New Years!! It's time to shake off the last year..remember the good times..to grow from the bad and make this new coming year the best year yet!
There's a list of things I would like to work on for the coming year and I still haven't decided everything I'm going to focus on. But I know that it will be the best year ever! The best is always yet to come. Life always gets better and better..we are always growing and changing and evolving into something better..if we choose to.
Choose to make this year the best year of your life-it really is all up to you, no matter your circumstances. This video is about a boy that decided to change. He knew that he had to get rid of some old habits because they flat out weren't making him happy.

He was in a pretty bad place in his life-but now look at him! He is happy...he has true joy in his life! If you feel alone, if you feel like this life is too hard..turn to God. You can't make it without Him. There's a music artist who says in a song:
"You're not alone
There is more to this, I know
You can make it out
You will live to tell" 

I know he's right. We are not alone. We are never alone. I know that because I felt God's love for me when there was literally no one else there for me. I know it's true. If you doubt that-pray and ask God if He is there and if He loves you. You are worthy to talk to Him. 

"God doesn’t care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go." -Elder Holland's talk The Best is Yet to Be

You can talk to God anytime, no matter what you've done-who you are. I know He loves you. 

Be the person you've always wanted to be or, maybe you were before but you got off track a little.

 "No matter have far you have gone done the wrong road-TURN BACK." -Turkish Proverb

You can be that person you want to be or better, who God wants you to be. There lies true happiness. 

So start off the new year right. It may be a hard transition or even scary but I know it will be worth it. : )