Forever

I went to an open house for the newly constructed Temple in Draper, Utah last night. When my roommate called to see if I wanted to go, I almost said no. I was sort of grumpy, I had just stepped in a puddle, my swimming class had been a bit pointless, & she was planning on leaving in fifteen minutes. I was currently 10 minutes from home, slightly wet, & smelling of chlorine. But I decided to get over myself & go. I am so incredibly grateful that I did.
A Temple open house is a chance for everyone to go to a newly built temple and see what it's really like before it is dedicated for worship services. Temples are beautiful, peaceful, holy pieces of heaven on earth. As soon as we were within sight of the temple, all my grouchiness melted away. During our tour of this incredible building, I felt a spirit of peace and happiness.

Temples are perhaps the most important element of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka Mormon Church). In temples we are taught important principles of the Gospel, we are given commandments that help us return to live with our Heavenly Father again, and, most importantly, we are sealed to our families for time & all eternity. In a temple marriage, there is no "'til death do you part." We believe that by being sealed to your husband or wife in the temple, you are sealed together forever by a bond that even death cannot break.

I am not a great teacher. I am not a great speaker. But I do have great faith. Because of the beautiful comforting spirit I have felt in the temples I have attended, I have no doubt that my family will be together forever. I know that that blessing is available to every person on this earth who is willing to live the commandments given by God. I don't know all the answers, but I will share what I know.

For a great article about why we have temples, click HERE.

Click here for more general information about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS Temples.

Also - yes, I am aware that sometimes my music choices to go w/ my blogs are a bit cheesy. But these are two of my favorite forever songs. :D & I like cheese.

Going Under?

Sometimes I feel like I'm barely staying on top of all the things I have to do, barely making the cut, barely staying a float. And I'm pretty good at floating. But this college business... it's hard! I think I need about 8 more hours in a day! But my clock doesn't usually agree. Cue the sinking feeling...

After realizing what a crazy busy week was awaiting me, I was ready my scriptures last night. I was reading through Matthew yet again and came upon some scriptures in Matthew 14: 27-32:

" 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased."

Sometimes when I get super busy like now, I feel like I'm sinking just like Peter. I get so busy watching my feet and trying to make all my deadlines that I forget the important stuff, like my family or my goal to be more kind. Everything gets out of whack and I begin to focus solely on my own safety, just like Peter. But when I remember where my focus really should be, it helps put everything into perspective. And I know that Christ loves me and will keep me above water when I feel like I'm going under. Jesus will stretch out His hand and lift me up to where I belong.

He Was Just a Nobody

We just finished studying the Gospel of Mark in my New Testament class here at Brigham Young University. I love the Bible, I love the language of the King James Version, and I love the stories about our Savior. But I must admit, I probably don't know as much about the Bible as I should. Going through the list of books in the Bible, I always just thought Mark was one of the Twelve Disciples. But he wasn't.

That may not seem like a significant fact, but it meant something to me. And it is significant, because it shows that Mark was the true author of that particular Gospel - there's no reason to attribute those writings to him because he isn't a significant character in the story of Christ. But his story is significant. Mark also wrote his Gospel with very little skill in Greek, keeping a lot of the words that Jesus spoke in Aramaic, His native tongue. Mark wasn't extremely well educated. He wasn't one of the chosen twelve. He was just a man who followed the teachings of Jesus and made a record of Jesus' story. And just look at what a difference he made! The Gospel of Mark is the most detailed narrative of the Atonement, Crucifixion, and Resurrection that we have.

Mark was nothing more than a humble follower of Jesus Christ. He wrote the words of his friend, Peter, and the result is an amazing book of scripture.

That idea makes me look at this blog a little differently. I know that the things I write will never become canonized scripture or anything even remotely like unto it, but I can share my testimony of the Savior, just like Mark.

I'm feeling very grateful today. I'm at a wonderful university with wonderful friends who truly care about me. I have wonderful parents who set a great example for me. I have a testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ. I believe that He lives. I know He loves me, personally. I know that He cares about each one of us here on the earth and that He truly does know our pains and sufferings. The Atonement allowed Jesus to redeem us from our sins as well as feel our pains, that "His bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor His people." (Alma 7:12) This is one of my favorite, favorite scriptures. I love it. Succor means "run to." What an amazing statement. Christ suffered so He could better understand our sufferings and run to our aid at the times we need Him most. Even if we're like Mark, simple a believer who is willing to share their testimony with the world.

The Good News

I have a big brother who I love very, very much. We're not actually siblings, not even cousins, not even related at all, but we've been through a lot together. He helped me survive my sophmore year of high school and my daddy's first relapse. I'm his go to girl when he's incredibly bored and needs some one to talk to while driving tractor for endless hours. We go on dates so we can make fun of the couples that double with us. He's my Tater Bro and I'm his Lil' Spitz. Sometimes a girl just needs a big brother to take care of her, and Tate is an awesome brother to have. I am so glad he adopted me. ;D

This dear brother of mine called me last night to tell me the best piece of news I have heard in a long time: He's going to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have never heard so much determination or emotion in Tate's voice as when he said, "There's no if about this anymore; I'm GOING on a mission." I am SO incredibly proud of him.

We spent quite a bit of time on the phone last night, talking about missionaries, focus, the Spirit, and sharing the Gospel (or, as I have recently learned in my New Testament class, "The Good News"). We shared many personal thoughts, insights, and tears. (I'm lucky I didn't short circuit my phone, actually, I was quite weepy.) This has been a long time coming for Tate, and now he's struggling a bit with keeping his focus, so I gave him a To Do List, which I wanted to share with all of you. Now, I'm not the kind of person that regularly makes lists of goals, so this is a bit out of the ordinary for me, but the Spirit was so incredibly strong when we were discussing the list, I felt like it needed to be shared.

1) Pray - Get down on your knees and bare your heart. Put it all on the line and ask the Lord for comfort, guidance, & strength.

2) Read your Scriptures prayerfully and diligently - Really search for answers, encouragement, and direction.

3) Make a list of reasons you want to serve a mission.

4) Make a list of reasons that you are grateful for the Gospel - revise missionary list.

5) Spread the news - tell your friends and family that you're going, ask for their prayers and support, and tell everyone how excited you are to serve the Lord!

6) Get those papers in!
(LDS missionaries must apply to serve a mission, finance their mission, and accept the call to serve, whether it be in Salt Lake City, Mexico, Bulgaria, or any of the 348 mission areas worldwide. See Missionary PR or mormon.org)


7) Remember that you have a little sister who supports you, believes in you, and loves you very much.

#1, #2, and #7 are infinite. This one goes out to you, my Tater Bro, and all the other missionaries, past, present, and, most especially, future! Go forth! Work hard! Spread the "Good News!"

New Blog

Hey! Welcome to my blog - Rush Slowly. Check out my about me section if you want to know about the woman behind the words, or just keep checking back for random updates.

If you're wondering about the name of my blog, I'd be more than happy to explain. "Rush Slowly" is an Indian maxim, reminding one to do things quickly, but thoroughly. I first encountered the phrase on Ron and Joyce Hanson's blog about their time in India, and it has stuck with me. Rush Slowly. There is much to be done, but we can't blast from task to task without stopping to appreciate the simple things. "Rush Slowly" pretty much describes life at my beloved Brigham Young University - there is so much to do! It's easy to get overworked and stressed out when taking classes, participating in church activities (being LDS, or Mormon, greatly affects life at BYU), while still trying to maintain some sort of life outside the library.

So, my friends, "Rush Slowly." Work hard, but play hard. Get things done, but take time to breathe. Move forward, but don't forget past lessons. Focus on your goals, but don't close your mind to other options. Appreciate the world around you. God has created a beautiful place for us to live in and wonderful people for us to live with, take some time to be grateful. Rush Slowly.