Missionary work is the best

This week, in my New Testament class, we read Matthew 16-18, Mark 9, Luke 9, and John 7-10. In our reading, the Savior gives the 12 apostles the authority (priesthood) so that they can heal the sick and preach the gospel to everyone. In Luke 9, it says, "Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." (verses 1-2). This stuck out to me as very important because missionary work is the way that our church grows. We have members who try to share the gospel using social media and other ways and we have people who actually sign up and serve missions. They pay money each month to go to a new place for 1.5-2 years to share the gospel with the people in the area that they are assigned. They are called by a prophet of God and given the authority to share the gospel and to preach to people.

When I was on my mission, I was so grateful for that authority to preach. Being a sister in a foreign country, it was a great comfort to know that I was being watched over and that I had the power to help people change their lives. In the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 15, Abinadi is a prophet who preaching to the priests of king Noah and chastising them a little bit because of the things that they are teaching or not teaching to the people. In a way of encouraging them to change their ways he quotes Isaiah in verses 14, 15, and 17, saying, "And these are they who have published peace, who have brought tidings of good, who have published salvation; and said unto Zion: Thy God reigneth! And O how beautiful upon the mountains were their feet! And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that are still publishing peace!" 

Where I served my mission, I didn't always feel like I had "beautiful feet." Walking up and down mountains and in the dust and through mud and giant puddles, my feet got really dirty. But I knew that I was blessed and as long as I continued to use my authority righteously and used it to bless others lives or to "preach the kingdom of God" I would be okay. This was such a comfort and I'm so grateful for the power that the priesthood gives us.

Sowing. What kind of seed are you?

In Matthew 13:3-8, Jesus gives the parable of the sower. It says,

 3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

When I read this, I like to interpret it like this...

The sower is the missionaries. The seeds are people who have received the gospel of Jesus Christ. This parable is about people's reactions to receiving the gospel and how it affects their lives. 

In verse 4, it says that some seeds fell by the wayside and the fowls came and devoured them up. Those seeds that fell by the wayside, I think, are the people who don't come to church very often after being baptized and the members don't go after them and help them come back. The fowls are a representation of trials or temptations that new members go through.

Verses 5 and 6 talks about seeds who fell on stony places and sprung up, but because there was no earth when the sun came up, they were scorched. These are those who probably weren't as converted as they should have been or were those who were pushed too hard to be baptized. These people fall away easily and  go back to their old lives.

Verse 7 is definitely about trials. It talks about the seeds that fell among thorns and the thorns choked them. When new members are baptized, life seems to get instantly harder. That is why members are so important to the conversion process. They are there to support the members and help them grow. 

Verse 8 is the best kind of seed to be. It fell on good ground and grew fruit, lots and lots of fruit. These are the people that accept the gospel, have everything they need to grow (a calling, support from the ward, and daily nourishment from the gospel), and then they go and help others receive the happiness that they have received as well.

I'm posting this for you to see what kind of seed you are. It's a good way to measure yourself and see where your conversion is at. We should always strive to be the kind of seed in verse 8. It really is the best.

The Word of God

Hello everyone :)
So in my New Testaments class, we've been asked to share what we learn. I felt like it would be a good idea to share what I learned this week in a blog post. It's been a while since I've shared anything here.
I would like to start this post with a statement that as a member of the LDS church, I do believe that the bible is true. It's a common misconception that we only believe in the Book of Mormon. That is not true at all. "We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God." (Articles of Faith 8).
This semester, I have the privilege to study the New Testament and the life of our savior, Jesus Christ. Every week, we are assigned a few chapters to read from the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). We are then asked to discuss three principles that we have noticed in the reading. This week, the reading was Matt 3-4; Mark 1; Luke 3-4; John 1-4. Most of the reading was about John the Baptist and Christ's baptism. There was also a lot mentioned about Christ's miracles.
One of the main principles that I noticed in this weeks reading was in Mark 1. Towards the end of the chapter, Christ heals a leper. These stories are always my favorite. The charity that Christ shows towards these poor people is amazing.
For those of you that don't know, charity is defined (in LDS terms) as the pure love of Christ. According to the dictionary, charity is the act of giving money, food, or other kinds of help to people who are poor, sick, etc. Christ is the perfect example of charity, and as Christians we are asked to follow him, meaning become like him.
In Mark 1:40-45, a leper approaches Christ and his apostles. In those days, leprosy was a horrible disease. It's still horrible but we have medicine today that can help with it. There was no medicine back then, so when a person caught leprosy, they were sent to live in a colony with other lepers. They had to leave their families and friends and were automatically considered outcasts. This leper approaches Christ and kneels to him and says, "If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." Jesus, moved with compassion for this poor man, says, stretching out his hand toward him, "I will; be thou clean."
As soon as Jesus says this, "immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed." This man had such amazing faith in order to be healed. And because of his faith and Christ's love for him, he was healed and was able to go on with his life, to return to his family and friends.
In Preach My Gospel, a handbook for LDS missionaries, charity is discussed. It says that "charity is a gift from God." It says, "we are to seek to develop that kind of love," meaning charity.
"When you are filled with charity, you obey God's commandments and do all you can to serve others and help them receive the restored gospel." (PMG 118). It goes on to say, "Charity, like faith, leads to action. You will develop charity as you look for opportunities to serve others and give of yourself."
We all need to develop charity, no matter our religion, or nationality. We are all children of God, brothers and sisters, and we need to love each other. In closing, I'd like to share on of my favorite passages from the Book of Mormon.
Ether was a prophet in America back before Columbus' time. He was prophet during a very hard time when all of the people around him were very very wicked and his preaching fell on deaf ears. His words are some of my favorites because I know that he was talking to us, in this day and age.
"...Thou hast said that thou hast prepared a house for man, yea, even among the mansions of thy Father, in which man might have  a more excellent hope; wherefore man must hope or he cannot receive an inheritance in the place which thou hast prepared... And I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father." (Ether 12:32,34)
As we can see from Ether's words, if we don't have charity, then we are nothing. As Christians, we need to develop charity for everyone. It is how we show our love for Christ and our desire to follow him.

Cellphones!?

So a couple of months ago, my mom asked me to write a post about cellphones. This would be for my little brother who is 12, almost 13, and thinks that he NEEDS a cellphone.... And I thought why not write one?
I didn't have a cellphone when I was in middle school. I never even thought about having a cellphone... I know these days, parents give their kids cellphones because they want to be in touch with them and make sure that they're safe always, blah blah blah. Personally, I don't think it's necessary.
From my experience, middle school/junior high age is waaaaay too young to be needing a cellphone. Yes, it helps you know where your kid is. But it causes way more problems than you think.
Kids are stupid. There I said it. I was stupid when I was 12, 13, 14, even 15. Phones these days give kids access to everything. All sorts of bad stuff that they don't need to be exposed to. It also causes heaps of drama. And can also cause kids to hide things from their parents.
My younger siblings, all at various ages, have had problems with social media and drama. "So-and-so said this about me" "So-and-so told everyone my secret" "So-and-so called me this" It goes on and on and on.
I remember when I was back in middle school. Nerdy little Q, heading to the library or the band room. Life was simple back then. No boy drama. No friend drama. These days, it's pretty amazing to hear about all the stuff that goes on over at that school.
And a lot of that craziness is linked to cellphones. Kids don't need em. They can lead to cyber bullying, secret relationships, addictions (yes, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter count as addictions), and lowering grades. It can get kids in trouble too. I heard recently that my high school has started a ban of cellphones during class. Phones may only be used during passing time on penalty of suspension. Honestly, I think it's a great idea.
School is a time for learning. Phones take away from that time and distract students and cause more drama than their worth. Please don't give little kids cellphones... I am grateful that I wasn't allowed a cellphone with texting until I graduated.
So, for my little brother, you'll understand when you're older. Mom and Dad love you and they want whats best for you. Even if you might not like it. You'll be better off with no phone. I promise.
Love,
Q

True, true, true

Yay for early morning revelations!

I am in Rexburg for the moment. It was a spur of the moment trip to hang out with Carly. I've only been here for one day so far (not even one day) and this has already been a great trip for me. I've already learned so much. I've learned that I've changed a lot more than I thought I had. I've learned that my future is wiiiiiide open. I can do whatever I want to and I mean whatever. Anything.

Last night before we went to bed, Carly read to me her blog that she has been working on for her senior project. She graduates in just two months which is awesome. Her blog is one for giving advice to people who want to go to BYU-I or who are going to BYU-I. One of her posts was about choosing a major. She said that we need to choose a major of something we actually like doing. We can change it at any time and we don't need to be afraid to do so. Basically, we can be whoever we want to be. She told me that she wrote that post with me in mind. Probably because I've already changed my major once, from Music to English Education. This didn't really hit me, or sink in, until this morning when I woke up. 

Carly and her roommate are still asleep and it's 10:16 am. I can't sleep in past 9:30 no matter how late I stayed up the night before *cough* 3 am *cough*

But I woke up feeling like a new person. I feel completely different. Confident and determined. Like I want to move forward in my life and I want to figure out what I want. This is a GREAT feeling. I feel happier too. Wow, didn't know this was what Rexburg could do for me. I need to do something with my life. And this is the perfect time to do it.

When breaking up with my boyfriend, I lost complete interest in boys. And I didn't know why. True, I've only been on one date with a boy since then but still. I didn't know what Heavenly Father wanted for me. I didn't know what I was supposed to do with my life. And so I just kept praying and going to the temple and reading my scriptures, hoping and trusting in Him that I would be lead to my next step. Well, I'm still not there but at least now I have the desire to find the next step. And now I know why I don't care about boys right now. I need to get my crap together. 

I'm going to research all of the majors at BYU-I and figure out what I want in life. No matter what it is. After that first semester of coming back from the mission and actually doing a decent job in my classes for the first time ever, I have the confidence that I can do whatever I want to do. And now I actually trust what my patriarchal blessing says about my schooling. I can do whatever I want to do. Anything. And I will succeed. Just got to figure out what that is. Also I've realized that I belong here in Rexburg. From the first moment that I drove in and saw everything and started remember all of the good times, I just felt like I was home. I've missed it here. And I feel more confident and more myself. I don't feel that at all in Provo. So I may be moving back here. We'll see. For now, I'll  just figure out what I want to do. 

But I know that God has a plan for us. We need to seek his help to know what it is and what we are supposed to do. But He will reveal it to us if we are patient and trust in Him. 

And man, am I happy right now :) 

Again, it's been ages....

Here's what happens when people get home from their missions. 

1. They are super happy to be home and be with family again, love lazing around, watching tons of movies, catching up on the music, stalking people on Facebook (seeing who got married and who had kids), and enjoying the free time.

2. The boredom kicks in (of course this would happen, they just spent 1.5-2 years walking around talking to people all day long). And the desire to move on with life. This stage sucks if there is no post-mission plan. 

3. Moving on and getting a life. But also losing some of the spirituality that used to be there. Hitting an all-time spiritual low, not because you're slacking or not following the commandments, but because there is a lack of service. 

There are more steps but I still have to figure out what they are.

I'm on the 3rd step right now. It's not a fun period of time. But if little acts of service can be found everyday then it should get easier over time. 

Post-mission life is great. You get to see how much you've changed when you weren't paying attention to yourself. It's so true that if you lose yourself in the service of others, Heavenly Father will change you into who you need to be. He will make you strong enough to survive the rest of your life. Okay, better than survive. He will make you strong enough to succeed. 

I'm so grateful for my mission and all the He taught me while I was on it. Can't wait to see where He takes me next. 

Love,

Q

Long time, No write

Hello people of the world!
It's been a while....
But life is good right now. I'm getting ready for my mission.
And I find out where I'm going this week (hopefully).
I'm also kind of freaking out. If you've never gotten a mission call before... well then you don't really understand the tension and scariness of getting that letter.
It's also super exciting, don't get me wrong.
I'm just dead scared to open that thing. That letter is going to tell me everything about my life for the next year and a half...
It's going to say where I'm going, if I have to learn a language, and when I'm leaving.
Luckily, I'll still have time after I get it to prepare. I put June 1st as my availability date so I still have about 4 months at least.

For those of you that don't know how the calls work, let me explain.
We don't choose where we go. The leaders of the church in Salt Lake City choose for us. They pray about it and call us to the place where we will serve the church and the people best. They call us to the place where we are needed.

So, because of that, I'm incredibly excited. This is going to be an amazing opportunity for me and I can't wait.

And that's the deal with the mission right now.
I'm also taking three online classes (American Foundations, English, and Book of Mormon part 2).
And I'm working whenever I can get work. So yup :) That's life.

Love,
Q