Reading The Book of Mormon in Under 3 Months

In November our *Stake President challenged us to read the entire Book of Mormon as a couple before stake conference in February. At first, when we started, we calculated that we needed to read six or seven pages a day to get it done. Not very much. Honestly, I've read books almost twice this length in a matter of weeks, but we wanted to read it together, out loud, which takes a bit longer. Then we had a family emergency, didn't read as much as we should have during Thanksgiving and Christmas break, and just stopped early a few times when we were sick or tired at the end of the day. We're now needing to read 13 pages a day to finish, but we're planning to be done by the day before conference. Mission accomplished!

Every once in a while this feels like a burden. It can take a long time to finish our daily reading, which we usually do right around bedtime, and I get tired. But then I think of how much I love this book and how many blessings I've seen in my life because we've accepted this challenge. 

President Runia told us that if we did this that the spirit would increase in our home and that we would have increased tenderness in our marriage. I have noticed that. Cameron and I have become more patient and loving towards each other. It is easier to feel the spirit in our home, which in turn creates more peace and love.

Although I've read The Book of Mormon before, several times, reading it so quickly this time has helped me to see the continuity so much more clearly. To see things prophesied and then happen in such close proximity to each other that I'm able to recall more clearly what was said is a true blessing. It has strengthened my testimony that the Lord keeps his promises, that he lives, and that miracles are real.

I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that it teaches of Him and His Son, just as the Bible does. I know that, if we let it, the doctrine and stories in it can change our hearts and help us to become more like our Savior. I am so grateful for this church, I am so grateful for the scriptures, and I am so grateful for the love of my Heavenly Father.

*A Stake President is an ecclesiastical leader who presides over a group of about 10 wards (or congregations) which make up a stake. If you have any questions about this or anything else I've mentioned please feel free to leave a comment or send me a message! 

If you want to do some research about the LDS church, receive a free copy of the Book of Mormon, or want to chat online with Mormon Missionaries (or make an appointment to speak with them in person), visit mormon.org, or click the "I Believe" link at the top of the page.

He Knows Me

God is good.

All the time.

Even when I get frustrated and stamp my feet and shout at the sky,

"Why can't something just work out the way I want it to!?"

Yup, even then.

Because in the midst of this ranting and fussing and womanly indignation I come inside to find a nine page letter from my really good friend who is on his mission. I was wondering why it was taking him so long to write me back. Now I know. It was so that I could have that little bit of comfort and a reminder of my previously more optimistic outlook on trials, right at that moment when I needed a hug and some Humble Pie.

Thank you Father for knowing me, and knowing how to care for me,

and thank you Anders for your wonderful letter.

Something Anders reminded me of that I had told him in the last letter I sent him:

In the hymn "Nearer my God to Thee," there is a line that says "[I wish to be] Nearer to Thee, e'en though it be a cross that raiseth me." Our trials bring us closer to the Lord, if we let them. If we want to be closer to our Father in Heaven we have to be willing to go through trials to get there. I need to do a better job of remembering that when I'm actually going through something difficult.

Missionaries: still grateful :)

Once again, I am so grateful for missionaries. One of my oldest friends left on his mission yesterday, and although it was hard to say goodbye for two whole years, I am so proud of him. He is going to be a fantastic missionary and I can't wait to hear from him (we will be able to write letters while he is serving.) After preparing for several weeks in the Missionary Training Center in Provo, he will go to Stockholm, Sweden and the surrounding area to serve teach the people there about their loving savior, and offer them the opportunity to come into the fold of God. For more information about LDS missionaries, click here.

I am so grateful for this gospel and the peace and assurance that it brings into my life. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church of God on the Earth today, and that through the teachings and ordinances of this church, we can be saved and return to live with our loving Father in Heaven. I am so grateful for the knowledge and testimony that I have of my Savior and his plan for me. I love him so very, very much and I know that he loves all of his children individually more than I can possibly hope to comprehend in this life, but I hope that some day I can greet him face to face and thank him for the amazing sacrifice he made for me.

For more information about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, go to mormon.org, or click the pink button to the right that says "my faith".

My wonderful cousin ♥

Today I had the WONDERFUL opportunity of going to my cousin's mission farewell. He is such a wonderful young man. We love to give each other a hard time about pretty much everything, but he is seriously such a great guy and he means a lot to me. He's always there when I actually need him.

The last time I actually spent a significant amount of time with him (about 2 years ago) he was going through a rough time, his testimony wasn't incredibly strong, etc, etc, but when he gave his talk today I knew he was ready to go. He has felt the reality of the love of God and found his testimony, and I couldn't be more proud.

I love you Josh.

(This is a terrible picture of both of us,

we were trying not to laugh or cry,

so our faces were a little funny,

but its the only one I've got)

I am so grateful for this church and the knowledge and testimony I have of its truth and the reality of the atonement and the love of our Father in Heaven and his son for us. I am so grateful for the missionaries who are so courageous and selfless and noble, who dedicate their daily lives to the service of others and to bringing the joy of the restored gospel to any who are willing to hear.

Some missionary scriptures that I LOVE

Mosiah 15:14-18

14 And these are they who have published peace, who have brought good tidings of good, who have published salvation; and said unto Zion: Thy God reigneth!

15 And O how beautiful upon the mountains were their feet!

16 And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that are still publishing peace!

17 And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who shall hereafter publish peace, yea, from this time henceforth and forever!

18 And behold, I say unto you, this is not all. For O how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that is the founder of peace, yea, even the Lord, who has redeemed his people; yea, him who has granted salvation unto his people;

1 Nephi 13:37

37 And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.

Back to School

I am back in Provo! It's really weird living south of campus, in an apartment, in a singles ward with no pre-mission guys. I'm really grateful to my grandparents for taking me in and letting me stay with them, taking me shopping, making sure I'm fed, and helping me move in to the new apartment. I'm really glad that I have family here. I literally would not be able to make this transition by myself, emotionally or physically.

My room mates and I are getting along super well! They are all incredibly sweet and nice. We have a lot in common, and we're excited for classes to start and to get to know our ward. We took some room mate pictures earlier and it was fun :)

Nauvoo

Last week I had the AMAZING opportunity to go to Nauvoo with my family. Nauvoo is a city where the Latter-day Saint pioneers began gathering in the 1840's. They were forced to leave in the winter of 1846, but the LDS church later reacquired much of the original property of the church and private members of that time and restored them to be historically accurate. Senior and sister missionaries, many of whom dress in 1840's costume, lead tours, put on shows, and are there to answer questions for visitors. There is a special group of those missionaries who are there specifically as actors, dancers, singers, and band members, who share the gospel through their talents, and only stay for 3-4 months. I'm auditioning for next summer. I'm really excited.

The story about the saints in Nauvoo is truly amazing. Their faith and courage is so inspiring, and helps me to realize how blessed I am to live in a time where the only "persecution" I receive for being LDS is mild teasing. I didn't have to walk across the frozen Mississippi in February, or cross the great plains on foot to reach safety. I have not lost any loved ones, nor have I had to leave my home, friends, or family. I am so grateful for the sacrifices those early pioneers made so that I can live my religion in peace today.

I hope and pray that I can live worthy of the love and sacrifices of those saints. I know that the true gospel of Christ is worth doing all of those incredibly hard things for, and hope that I would have the faith to do what they did if necessary. I love my Father in Heaven and am so grateful for all that he has given me.

Speaking in Church, and other chenanigans

Today I had the great opportunity to speak in church. Most people wouldn't claim to love this, and despite the rush I get from performing, public speaking is still not something I particularly enjoy. I do, however, love preparing to give a talk.

For my friends who are not LDS, the main service where everyone sits in pews and we take the sacrament is only the first hour of church. Instead of having one sermon by our bishop, we generally have two or three members of the congregation speak on the same topic, like "coming to know the Savior by diligently learning of him," which is what I spoke on today.

I love preparing a talk because I am more enthusiastic about my scripture study, and have a particular focus in mind besides simply reading. I always feel and increase of the spirit in my life as I strive even harder to live the principles I am going to convey, and a greater understanding of the doctrine of our Lord. My testimony is stronger, and so is my love for the Savior and all of his children.

I had a lot of really fun stuff happen this week. First off, I went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter! It was fantastic :) I'm really glad that I didn't read the book over again before I saw it, so the little differences didn't bother me so much, and I just tried to think of it as separate from the book. (SPOILER ALLERT) I was kind of sad that it was ending, and I totally cried for pretty much the rest of the movie after Harry showed up at Hogwarts and stood up to Snape. They also did a really great job of making Snape look like a good guy, which I needed. I still had trouble reconciling the Snape I hated when I was little, with the hero of the last book. I've decided that Snape is a Byronic Hero, but don't ask me what that means, I can't quite remember the definition. :P

I also got a mini package from my friend who is on his mission. Inside there were 51 pictures. and that's it. I loved it :)

Lastly, I got to spend an afternoon with my wonderful friend Michael, who I've known for seven years. We don't agree on everything, but we really get each other and I just love spending time with him :) He's always there for me whenever I'm going through a rough time, sometimes with flowers and chocolate :)

I haven't posted in a while because I've just been so busy and between working, school, and going teaching with the Missionaries I've been really tired and sleeping much more than I should need to. I love everything I'm doing, (except for school, which I like, but I wish that I weren't doing it in the summer) and I'm so happy to be home.

I am very grateful for good hair days, especially since they are much more scarce here where it's humid than out in Utah. Sometimes I will blow-dry, brush, condition, EVERYTHING and my hair will still look like this:

Other days it thankfully looks a little more like my sister Sarah's hair, which is THE most gorgeous hair on the face of the earth, Repunzel has nothing on her :)

I am also grateful for my HILARIOUS little brother Cameron. He always makes me laugh, and I love him to death. I love how he is always ready to defend me if he thinks I need it, or make me laugh if I'm ever grumpy or stressed. We have several handshakes and inside jokes. He's my buddy :)

Missionaries

I am so grateful for the sister missionaries in my ward, as well as all missionaries, but this week I'm especially grateful for mine :) I already mentioned my experience with them last tuesday, but I had the opportunity to go with them to teach someone on thursday. The girl we were teaching is my age. She is such a wonderful girl with a big heart, who was asking all the right questions. When we were talking about the plan of salvation and the atonement the spirit was so strong and I could tell that she felt it too. When the missionaries gave her a Book of Mormon they asked her to read three verses (Moroni 10:3-5) which basically say that if you pray with an open heart and ask God if this book is true, he will give you an answer. I have done this very thing and received an answer. The Book of Mormon is true. I know it in my heart and I have seen it touch countless people's lives. I am so grateful for it, this church, and the way their teachings help me become better than I ever could be on my own.

I am also grateful for all of my good friends who are serving missions now, have served them, or are planning on serving in the future. I am so proud of you, and so glad to call you my friends. I admire your courage and selflessness, and am so blessed to know you.

For anyone reading this who doesn't know what missionaries for my church are, or wants to know more about them, click here --> ♥