Thermometer or Thermostat?

1 Nephi 10:1

"For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord..."

In my Book of Mormon class, we talked about the difference between acting and being acted upon. In this verse, we have Nephi asking the Lord to understand what his father knew. In class we talked about how he sat down and pondered, and sought to understand, and believed that the Lord would make those things known unto him. He made a physical effort to understand, and had faith that, through the Lord, he would understand.

Laman and Lemuel didn't. They just kinda expected the answers to come to them or not. At least from what we understand, they made NO effort to understand what their father was talking about, and resented their father.

It really made me consider--do I act, or am I acted upon? There are so many questions at this time of life that I do pray about, but do I really search and ponder in my desperate need for answers? What's funny is when a friend started bringing this up as well. I started evaluating different situations I have been in, and in what ways I could have looked at it in a better light and realized what I could have changed instead of what I wished would change. I realized that I simply could not be content just allowing things to happen around me.

Also, it has ALWAYS astounded me how sensitive Nephi is to the spirit. He knows that it feels like, and he knows that to do when he hears it! He doesn't sit there doubting whether he felt it or not, he acts on it with 100% faith! It stuns me. I realized that in my quest to learn how to feel the Spirit more keenly, I needed to act instead of assuming that such a gift will just come to me. I need to be firm in what I believe.

The Extra Details

Nephi 7

9 And it came to pass that they rejoiced exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel.

10 And after they had given thanks unto the God of Israel, my father, Lehi, took the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, and he did search them from the beginning.

First off, how blessed we are to have such easy access to the scriptures. We don’t have to take two weeks to go get our scriptures to study the word of God. The word of God fits in our pockets on our devices. We have constant access to what our modern prophet is telling us today, and we have the technology to see the apostles and prophets live when they speak to us. Also, this showed how much Lehi valued knowing their heritage.

However… consider this—where, in this chapter, did Nephi talk about what he went through to get those plates? This is something that I had never considered before. His brothers an extreme detriment to their cause, and they beat him with and Sam with sticks. What is the story behind that? There aren’t minute details in the Book of Mormon.  What were they probably saying the entire way there? What were they yelling at him? I wonder how many times they threatened him. We don’t know. But we know it must have happened.

Not only that, but we don’t know how Nephi told his dad that he had to kill Laban to get the plates. Nor do we know how Lehi must have responded. What a conversation that must have been. As Mr. Griffin showed in class:

“Hey… dad? I need to talk to you.”

“Sure son! What’s on your mind?”

“Well. Dad... You see. To get those plates?”

“…yes?”

“Dad… I was commanded to kill Laban. This… this is his sword.”

“You…” *Long silence as they both look at the plates.* “What… why is God asking us to do this?”

“I don’t know, Dad.”

That’s the other thing—Nephi was commanded to write these smaller plates. He didn’t know why, he just knew that he was supposed to. Sometimes we are asked to do things, and we just don’t know why. It’s a very funny thing, learning to put all of your trust in your Father in Heaven. Somehow we can learn to do it though. Nephi learned how to get personal revelation, and act on what he knew he was commanded to do. There is a quote by Julie B. Beck: "The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life." This is a difficult ability to acquire! But isn't it incredible that we can get revelation from our Father in Heaven that knows all things? We can trust Him, and we will be an instrument in his hands.

Hello World!

Because my blog is viewed by everyone around the world. *winkwinknodnod.

BUT! Regardless. Listen. For those of you who don't know me personally...

I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Otherwise known as the LDS church, or the Mormons. Coming to a theater near you... "Meet the Mormons"!! 

Yes. That is me.

As a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I read and study what we call the Book of Mormon. I am actually taking a class on it at my college! It. Is. Wonderful. If you ever get the chance to combine faith and school, DO IT.

We also believe in the Bible, as long as it is translated correctly. We believe that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, another testament of Christ, through the power of God. It is the record of those that lived in the Americas in ancient times. We also believe that he restored the true gospel of Christ to the earth.

We also believe in a loving Heavenly Father that created us, and sent us down here so that we could learn to be like Him. We also believe in the gift of agency--the gift to be able to choose between right and wrong.

That basically is a quick rehash. If you happen to cross my blog, and want to learn more, I will answer any questions to the best of my ability. Leave them in the comments! (Because, again, we know the whole world looks at this blog. ;) Ha. Haha.

But also, if you are curious,  www.lds.org is an AMAZING resource.

Looking for Something

From my Book of Mormon class:

*(Sorry. Much of this is the basics this week. I'll probably step into deeper things later, but this made an impact on me. So I'm going to write about it.)

What is your distraction? Why is it distracting you? ...If it's on your mind... why on earth aren't you looking for an answer for it? Why is it your distraction instead of your purpose?

This, (though maybe it shouldn't be this way) was quite the revelation for me. Whenever I read scriptures, I'm always thinking to put away things of the world and my own selfish thoughts and concerns and think of the eternal and everything gospel. I want to just focus on studying. You know what? It's hard to do that when scripture study is one of the few times you get to slow down and think. Telling myself not to think about my concerns at that very moment while studying my scriptures is like asking me to think... but telling me don't you dare think young lady. At the same time. ... Does that make sense?

Look for what you are thinking about... this brings "liken the scriptures to yourself" to a whole different (not new) level. It's funny--I feel like I have been told this concept before. I always thought that it meant to "modernize" the scriptures in a way where you can gain strength from them in your life. Like if you are faced with temptation. "Get thee hence Satan!" Such as when you are filled with despair because you feel like you are failing (2 Nephi 4 is my all time favorite chapter at the moment). Why not look on the page of scripture that you are reading right then. I ask questions and seek for answers, but I always formalize it. ... Must it be formalized? Why must I have a mystery that I've been trying to solve for a long while? Why must I separate my friend trouble from what I am reading? Why must I separate my feelings from my questions? Why must I separate how guilty and pathetic I feel? Why must I separate what I think are stupid questions and feelings from my scriptures? Why have I been doing that my whole life? 

It makes me feel quite behind many of my peers... but... that helps me. NOW. HERE.

Also the phrase "It came to pass." Coming from a Book of Mormon culture, I feel like I used this as one phrase that meant only one thing. But, in class, it was pointed out to me. IT came to pass. It CAME to pass. It came TO pass. It came to PASS. Everything that we experience came to pass. Not that it just happened, we experienced it and then it passed. We experienced it so it would pass. All the struggles we face? It came TO pass. And it does PASS.

And-- ...I can't wait until we get to meet Nephi. Let's be honest. :)

Two Years' Change

Life is strange. You don't have to live very long before you realize this.

Think about it--two years ago, could you imagine where you were going to be this year? Could you possibly imagine what experiences you were going to have? How different you would look? Could you imagine the people you were going to meet? Could you imagine what songs you would decide you would love? Could you see what friends you were going to make? Did you know which friends you would lose? Keep? Could you imagine the feelings you were going to feel? Despair, happiness, loneliness, excitement, anxiety, love, confusion, pain, joy, humor? Could you envision the scenes where you would laugh so hard that your stomach would ache for days? Did you imagine what people you would like? Did you know what mistakes you would make? Did you know what you would regret the most? Did you realize what would embarrass you the most? Could you imagine how your personality would change? Did you imagine what experiences your friends would have? Could you imagine what you would be involved with? Could you imagine what you would learn? What you would have to unlearn and start over? Could you imagine the conversations you would have? Did you image the relationships you would and would not develop? Could you imagine what your friends would go through? Did you see what you would be proud of yourself for doing? Did you understand that you would feel younger now than you did two years ago, but more mature? Could you... Did you... Could you... Did you....? Where did you think you were going to be? Where are you now?

Maybe it is just me. I am at that stage of life. But... I swear...

Life will be the death of me.

That's the other funny thing; life always ends in death. Everything has an end. Or does it?

All that change you have experienced in the last two years, will it ever leave?

Can you imagine two years from now?

Two years is a long time, yet a very short time. How... how... How did so much change around me? How did I change so much?

...Why does so much change? But you almost have to encourage the change by continuing the hike and walking forward through the valleys and to the tops of mountains. But! I think I'm getting stronger. I think everyone is.

I can't help but know that there is Someone at the head of this journey, and I trust my Father in Heaven. I can see his hand in my life from what I have learned and experienced. I know he is there. I... just don't know the overall result yet. And that's okay. I'm going to keep hiking, even if my feet ache and bleed and I feel exhausted. Everything will turn out.

Don't Kill "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Cultures die as new ones are born. Fads ripple across our history in a manner of decades. Moments come with impact and slowly drift out of reality. The only way to touch what it was is if they are preserved somehow.

What would happen if we all focused on this moment, right now? Sometimes we are told to do that. To do the right thing now and not worry about its effects tomorrow. Sometimes that is a good point.

But what would that mean? 

It could and often is dangerous. And has gotten many a people in trouble. 

We live in now. We don’t need to focus on it any more than to know that what we are doing is the right thing. But the past affects our every step- we may consciously think “this has happened before… if I do what I did last time I will end up where I did last time.” Or maybe

we subconsciously take the next step in one direction because some innate sense is telling us the other way has hurt us before. What we do also effects the next moment. The entire reason we take the next step. If the next decision you make doesn’t affect the next moment you live… where are you living? The eighty-second dimension? So in reality, 'livinig in the moment' does not even exist.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” brings us our past. It shows who America is, whether or not we want that past to have affected us. Because the fact is, the past does affect us. Not to mention we live in the ‘modern’ time.  I’m not saying we do not need to know what is going on, but that comes with living here. We know what is going on. I don't personally need a modern book for that. I can just read the news. We don’t live in the 1930s through the depression, we can only read about it.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird" we follow one of the most loveable and blunt characters of all time- six to eight year old Scout. To me, at least, she is an example of "becoming as a little child" and trust. Though she is careful with how she takes the world, she trusts those that are deserving of her trust. Like Mr. Dolphus Raymond says about Dill when he comes out of a courthouse crying because of the unfairness, "Things haven't caught up with that one's instinct yet. … Cry about the [crap] white people give colored folks, without even stopping to think that they're people, too." In this book, Harper Lee is able to touch our child side like no other book I have ever read.

 

Another wonderful thing about "To Kill a Mockingbird" is how we are traveling with Scout to make connections and learn things as she would. For example, one of the central themes of the book is 'to walk in another's shoes'. Scout shows us this with both Mayella and Boo Radley.

I can't imagine this not being part of school curriculum. It is a classic that has allowed so many to connect with each other- even to the older folks that also read it in high school.

"These are a few of my favorite things..."

Lists, lists. Did you know making lists is one of my favorite things to do? 

Whenever I am excited about something, I make a list pertaining to it in some way. Like trips? Whenever I don't have anything better to do, and I'm really excited for a trip, I make packing lists over and over and then carry them with me just in case I think of something to put on it. 

On Sunday, I always write a list of what I need to do the next week. Or in school, when I get frustrated with something, I write a list of good things. I like lists! 

I have this notebook that is just dedicated to lists and I carry it around most everywhere.

However... oh nevermind. I'm not going to pretend it's not fun to sit here and write lists about myself. Conceded. Maybe. Fine. Half the things I didn't realize before...  But it's nice to even list out to just yourself what YOU think. It's not even like a list to just make sure that everyone knows exactly who you are and how you think. It's just a sort of - heya! This is what I am like! Take it or leave it!

...Or not... uh...

This is not just a list to tell me to remember to find a place for my teddy bear in my backpack before I get in the bus. And now all you can see too! :D


10 Things I know to be true:

1.       People deserve the benefit of the doubt more than you think.

2.       Music touches more than your vocal chords can tell

3.       Dancing is a lot harder than it looks. That’s why it’s dancing. Apparently it’s supposed to look easy. That’s the art of it. I just look like a drowning Hippo.

4.       There are some things that you will never be able to understand… at least in this life. And that's okay.

5.    The Gospel is true. That means Joseph Smith was a true prophet, the Book of Mormon is a true prophet, Christ lives, and we can all have hope.

6.       Do don’t actually float when you jump off of something with an umbrella, but if you have a broomstick and a stick from your backyard, you can escape to Hogwarts. Not to mention that big rock next to your garden? It's a dragon egg.

7.       It is so easy to distract yourself now a days, yet it is so hard to focus.

8.       There are somethings that you think will never be evil, yet somehow someone figures out how to make it so. 

9.       You aren't going to be able to convince everyone you are right.

10.   You are not right as often as you think you are. Hence why people tend to get in fights. 

10 Things I can’t live without

Okay. I know that I could live without these. But you know!

1. My violin/MUSIC
2. My journal
3. Flowers
4. My fingers

Who remembers these books?

5. My water bottle
6. My desk
7. Books
8. Hugs
9. Soft and fluffy things
10. PAPER. I LOVE PAPER. 



10 Things I should have learned by now

1. How to focus.

2. How to keep my stupid room clean.

3. How to wake up in the morning.

4. How to get rid of these stupid headaches! Arg!

5. The song that is Suzuki book ten on the violin! Plus "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" :)

6. How to get a job :)

7. How to dance. 

8. Anything politics.

9. What these random terms are that I don't know that everyone else my age tells me that I don't want to know... (Or is it that they shouldn't know it? :D)

10. How to actually shut up once and a while :)

Quick mini lesson on how to play violin:
1- both of these guys are holding their bows badly. When you hold a bow like this,
it gets the oils from your hands on the bow, and makes it so it can't play. At all.
 I know from experience!
2- see how the devil is holding the violin? BLEH. You can't play like that.
You wouldn't even hold a violin like that when you are in resting position.
What is he doing? Thumping his chest with his violin?
Very manly, devil.

10 of my Greatest Fears (*dramatic music-bum bum buuuummm!!!)

1. Throwing up. Worst. Sensation. EVER.

2. The... being that is hiding in the dark of the basement that I can't see.

3. Running out of pencils and paper in the world.

4. Failing.

5. The death of anyone I know well.

6. Scorpions. Creepiest thing alive! Give me all the spiders you want! 

7. Hurting someone while driving. 

8. Hurting someone PERIOD.

9. Getting lost in Walmart. Do you know what that would say about my sanity?!

10. Loosing my memory. That. Would. Be. HORRIBLE.



10 Things, places, people etc, that make me the most happy

1. That smell that comes in the summer... It's this sweet smell that is only here. It comes around the beginning of the summer. I just have to sit in the evening cool and let it's sweetness cover me.

2. Bryce Canyon

3. The mountains. 'Nuf said.

4. Idaho

5. My family- Especially my immediate family. It's going to be hard to part with my bros, regardless how annoyed I've been with them before. But not just my bros, but my extended family too. I have a cousin that you cannot part me from. Even though she lives in Arizona.

6. My friends- THEY ROCK.

7. Pretzels. Sometimes when they are covered in chocolate. They are the best.

8. Arizona- who cannot love a place they have called home? Regardless what anyone says, Arizona is GORGEOUS. Sometimes really hot. But I love it.

9. My violin. My creation tool! Love it! Well, this plus music in general. I think I'd be one depressed person without music. Nothing to listen to, analyze, or create. Writing almost falls under this category too...

10. Accomplishing what I need too. But also accomplishing what I want to. Which usually falls under need to as well.



10 Places I will visit before I die

1. Grenoble, France. Home isn't home without missing it later.

2. While I'm in France I may as well visit Italy :)


3. The beach

4. The mountains. Over and over and over again!

5. Virginia. But also D.C. 

6. Wherever I'm living in the future I guess... (this is hard! I'm content...)

7. New York

8. Arizona

9. My brothers houses when they are married and have kids so my kids can play with them and us adults can talk about things that the kids think are important, but really we are just laughing at our own dumb jokes.

10. The mailbox.

Moral of the story? Lists can change the world!

Not really!

...Whoo!