Oh Blogging, and Christmas is Coming!!!

SO, I know... I know that I am pretty terrible at this blogging thing. I always remember things that I meant to write here then I just forget them again! So just so you all know there is stuff going on ;) 
We went to Germany! Pretty much the closest city to Brussels, Achen! It was just a day trip, we took the train for the first time (I have never really been on a passenger train!) and we saw the opening weekend of the Christmas Market there! It was SO packed, we could hardly walk through the streets! We didn't see quite as much as I had hoped but it was fun nonetheless. We went to the Lindt chocolate factory and that was amazing (no samples though :P ) We had some Dunner (I think) and it was amazing! No sausages though, next time. We saw a really cool church! The ceilings were tile mosaics and it was just so beautiful! We went with our couple friends from church, they are from Finland and speak like a million languages! So that was basically Germany!
We also went to the opening of the Brussels Christmas Market! We say the tree lighting and some sort of show... with weird music and blown up horses.... I don't know really. Haha but it was fun, we will probably go do more shopping because we didn't see most of the market, and we still have a ton of presents to get!
Thanksgiving!!! So we got invited to two different dinners (yes!) and they were amazing! Oh my goodness. The first was on Thanksgiving at the senior missionary's house with all the missionaries there is like 5 sets plus 2 senior couples. We made pasta for a side dish and I was proud of it. ;) and everything was amazing. Especially the company. Those guys really became our European family. 
Then the second dinner was on that Sunday. I will be honest we totally forgot about it until that morning and we were supposed to bring a dessert. Haha so that was interesting. We ended up bringing a couple boxes of amazing truffles. This dinner was with Regina and her family and friends (the African lady who picked us up that first Sunday). That was so much fun! It was like half French,half English so it was good. There was SO MUCH FOOD!!! And I have never had lasagna that good. Seriously! It was so good, just a loud, fun night filled with love ^-^ so happy.
So we realized the hunger games came out so we had to go see that! We went to a theater downtown on Saturday? So we were really excited about the movie and we didn't expect too much of the theater. So we get there, make sure we get tickets for the English one (it still had subtitles in French and Dutch). We find our theater and walk in and I was just awe struck I almost cried! Haha. This theater had to be an Opera House with a screen. The ceiling and walls were elaborately decorated, you could tell it was made well for acoustics. The seating was perfect so heads wouldn't block your view. The seats themselves.... Oh wow. They were all comfy and padded and wow I was so impressed. The screen was almost as big as an Imax screen! Oh gosh it was just so amazing!
So I wanted to tell everyone about the fashion here. Seriously every single person that I have seen dresses better that Americans. There are no slobs, no sweatpants, no flip flops, no tennis shoes (except for me). It's amazing. And I don't know if it is just me, but everyone is just so beautiful! I think they wear less makeup here. But I have noticed that everyone is just beautiful and glamorous! I love it! Everyone wears scarves, and not many people wear jeans, it's awesome.
Christmas is coming up!!! I am so stoked this year (like every year) I just love it, and I love my family, and I love the craziness, and the music (which I have been listening to since October). and just everything. I am so excited. 

On an end note:

MY LIFE IS FULL OF LOVE AND IT IS FANTASIC

:D

Bruges, Antwerp, PARIS

Alright, so the past week has definitely been an eventful one! We went on a couple day trips with friends and spent the next weekend in Paris!
So our friend Aytaj just moved down the street from us so we can hang out more! She also has a boyfriend/almost fiance. His name is Daniel and he is awesome. He came down from Denmark to visit for a week. So for Aytaj's birthday we visited Bruges together (Daniel has a car! :D) we saw sights, a couple of old churches, we bought some DELICIOUS truffles, seriously they were to die for! and we went to dinner at an Argentine steak house, and it was great! 
The next day we took a day trip to Antwerp! It was pretty similar to the Bruges trip, saw some churches, ate some awesome food, did some shopping. Antwerp had this beautiful pier though! We walked all over downtown and everything was awesome!
The rest of the week was spent hanging out with Daniel and Aytaj. Daniel apparently loves the english language and the United States so we talked a lot about that, we watched a lot of movies and ate some awesome food that Aytaj cooked! It was a great weekend! Then of Friday we left for Paris! 
So we took the MegaBus to Paris (same bus as the one to Amsterdam) and we got there at about noon-ish. We were planning on taking the Metro to our hotel then exploring from there but we got sidetracked and ended up walking the whole way (which took like 3-4 hours) But we saw the giant arch thing and ran into an awesome Christmas market and other shopping places, we saw a couple stores with like shoes that were about $2600... they were beautiful... :) Lots of shopping downtown, but nothing that we could afford obviously haha. We saw the big Ferris Wheel there and the Eiffel tower from a distance as we walked. We found that bridge that everyone puts locks on and WE PUT A LOCK ON IT :D it was awesome, I have some pictures. Our hotel was in an awesome location, it was fairly downtown, very close to Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, and Luxembourg Gardens. We got to our hotel at like 6 PM and rested for a bit, Our hotel was alright, nice place, you had to pay extra for showers and the showers and toilets are shared, luckily we had a toilet right outside of our (small) room. But, after we rested we went out and explored around our hotel and got some food and that was about it for the first day, oh and it was raining like all day. On Saturday we decided to Visit the Gardens, Notre Dame, and the Eiffel tower because it wasn't supposed to rain. So we went to the gardens first and it was awesome, it was huge and beautiful and there were a ton of people and activities going on. The Notre Dame Cathedral was amazing, it is huge! and a huge line to get into the place! It was so beautiful though! We saw a mime of sorts! Then we took the metro to the Eiffel Tower and it was phenomenal! Way prettier than I thought it would be! And bigger of course! We wanted to see it when it got dark so we took a cruise on La Seine ( I don't know if it's a river or a canal). The cruise went past all the main tourist attractions and had a cool commentary so we learned some of the history of the amazing things we saw! It was great! We were walking and I saw something sparkle in the reflection of a building's window, and of course it caught my attention. After a minute I realized that it must be the Eiffel Tower, so we tried to get out of the tangle of building to get a look at it, saw another sparkling glimpse, then when we finally broke free of the buildings it had stopped sparkling and I was sad, BUT then Nathan looked it up and found that it sparkles every hour! So we decided to have dinner and see it sparkle again. Then we had dinner at a traditional french restaurant and had the best chicken I think I have ever had! Ate a Baguette! (Paid $5.50 for a tiny glass of coke!) We definitely passed on the escargots ;) Then after dinner we saw the Eiffel Tower SPARKLE and it was made for me, I just know it :D oh, I was so happy! haha. Then Sunday came and we spent the majority of the day discovering the wonders of The Grand Louvre! We took quite a few pictures. I think we decided that Nathan's favorite piece was Cupid and Psyche, a sculpture. and my favorite was the Winged Victory (Nike), also a sculpture. That place was so big and there were so many things! We picked out a few things we for sure wanted to see, then just wandered the rest of the time. Of course we saw the Famous Monna Lisa. Though she was quite hard to see through the crowd! We saw Venus de Milo, lots of chandeliers, Egyptian, and Greek artifacts, just a ton of everything! We really loved the sculptures though! and some paintings! There was a mall underground next to the Louvre that we mozied through, got some McDonald's in Paris :D Oh and there are a million souvenir shops that all sell the same thing for basically the same prices and it was ridiculous! haha but I found an awesome scarf that I love! :D I will post pictures on facebook of our adventure. But that was about it! It was amazing! I didn't want to leave! We could spend weeks in Paris and not see everything! But this upcoming weekend we are going to go to the chocolate factory here Brussels and then we are going to Germany! Specifically Aachen's Christmas Market! :D  

Half-way Through our Internship

Alright so it's been about a month and half since we arrived here in Brussels! It has largely been the same ol' same ol' but we have had some adventures! I made soup for the first time! We made some friends at church and at work. We visited a Belgium bank museum, that was cool, we visited a Freemasons museum, that was cooler! So, funny story about that. There was a lot of artifacts in glass cases of course and one of them happened to be a small journal, written in that journal was a coded alphabet language that would seem quite perplexing... had I not learned and used that same coded alphabet as a middle school-er to send my friends notes during class. Small world eh? Besides that it was all quite interesting! We went to the museums with our friends from church (a young couple from Finland). The other friend we have made is Aytaj (it sounds like Itouch) she is the other intern at Nathan's work, She's been around the world but is originally from Azerbaijan.We decided that we are going to go to Germany at some point (Ute will be happy) and we just got back from our weekend trip to Amsterdam with Aytaj!

Amsterdam was definitely an interesting place! It is known as the Las Vegas of Europe, and OH MY is that a correct statement! There was 3 or 4 cannabis shops and sex shops on every street! But we did happen to find some cool places! We saw a couple of really amazing Roman Catholic Churches. In one of them we sat down and a cellist came in and started playing, the acoustics were phenomenal and it made it an awesome experience! The architecture and art was so amazing too, the stained glass, the roof structure, everything! We even saw a Buddhist Temple! There were lots of little street markets and shops and we ended up getting a few Christmas presents! ;) We stayed in a "hostel" about an hour out of the city... this place was interesting. So when we first got to Amsterdam we just walked around the city and saw stuff, when we were done, we got on a metro to get to our hostel. On the way the metro broke down (apparently it did that a lot) and we met these two teachers from Uruguay who just happened to be staying at the same hostel! So luckily they were able to guide us to the hostel. When we got there we found that it was really just a bunch of cabins on a big campground. So we found ours and settled in, then we went to find the showers, bathrooms, and kitchen. SO there was no toilet paper in the bathroom. Apparently it was available to buy in the lounge (which was closed of course) Luckily Aytaj was equipped with some tissues that served our purposes (thank heavens)! Then we discovered that it costs 1 euro to shower and you also had to pay for towels, sheets, pillowcases, and HEATING for the cabin. I mean it was a nice place but SERIOUSLY?! haha but anyway the kitchen was interesting, everyone was smoking weed... haha but we got to go to a diamond factory in Amsterdam! And they cleaned my ring for free! It sparkles so much now! Anyway I think that's about it for that trip

We are going to be going to Paris next I think, probably next weekend, I'm really excited! It is going to be awesome! Everything is awesome! :D

Places we want to travel together in our lifetime

Washington DC
Chicago
Minneapolis
Brussels
Amsterdam
Paris
Rome
Seattle
Mount Rushmore
Barcelona
Scotland
England
All 50 US states (14/50)
New Zealand
New York City

Adventures of Fall 2014

Alright so I am supposed to writing in a journal or something, and I was going to do that I promise... except that I don't have a journal. So I figured a blog is the next best thing! So I guess I’ll start from July.

My wonderful Great-Grandma Louise passed away this July which started off my adventures a little earlier than expected. We live in Rexburg, Idaho because Nathan is going to school there. We were planning on traveling home mid-July so that I could go to fiddle camp but that just got bumped up a week or so. Nathan didn’t finish school until the end of July so we were apart for a while (waaaaay too long). The service for Great-Grandma was beautiful, I was able to play my fiddle. I got to see a lot of family which was nice. I spent that next week just relaxing and spending time with family. Then came fiddle camp.

Fiddle camp was different this year because it was in Moses Lake rather than Kittitas, WA. It was nice except for the blazing heat. My cousin came to camp with me and Grandma this year which was great, I am all for promoting Old-Time music to the next generation! Camp was great, I learned some awesome pieces, saw some friends, and played lots of music. Also (as every year) my resolve to play all the time and perfect songs got stronger. My teacher Katrina told us that this would be her last year teaching which made everyone very sad because she’s amazing. But then camp ended and craziness ensued.

My grandmother and I planned a trip to the Oregon coast after fiddle camp. That trip included 3 female cousins. 1 car. That’s 5 females and all their crap in 1 car. It was awesome (most of the time). We went to the coast, got in the ocean, saw all kinds of creatures, saw some family, had some frustrations, and I feel like technically some laughs. ;) Oh and we were camping the whole time so that was interesting too. And then we drove home (finally).

After that adventure I spent almost a week waiting for my husband to join me. I spent some good time with my grandma and the rest of my family. Then Nathan got there and I went to work. At Plato’s Closet, again. I really don’t know why I did it… oh yeah it’s because we have no money! It was fine… I just feel sooo done with retail. Seriously that is all I’ve ever done and to be honest I don’t even like it anymore. I mean yeah I like clothes and I like getting them for good prices but I just think I’m done with that. And I don’t really know what to try next as far as a job goes, so if any of you have any good ideas PLEASE let me know! Anyway, yeah so I worked 5 days a week and we house hopped between families. Nathan bought a new suit. Oh and we went camping with his family at the St. Joe. Camping is always fun with the Blacks! I ate spam for the first time! It was great! Then we got ready for our road trip!

So we started early September 1^st from Coeur D’ Alene, Idaho. Our first day was the longest. We made it all the way to Jamestown, North Dakota (home of the world’s largest buffalo statue).We were going to stay at a campground but then we realized that it cost money so we ended up just sleeping in the car in a wal-mart parking lot. J The driving was not as bad as I thought it would be! The second day we drove to Minneapolis, home of American’s largest mall. WHICH WAS AWESOME! We started early enough to be at the mall most of the day. This thing was crazy! There is a theme park in the MIDDLE of the mall. Like legit theme park, it had like 3 roller coasters, I wish we had more time (and money) so we could have gone on rides. The mall itself was so great they had almost everything you could image. Nathan got a tie, I got a dress, and we spent like $9. After that, we drove another hour or two to a campground. The next day we drove to Chicago, now that was an experience! As we drove closer to the city we could see the buildings on the horizon just rise from ground, it just got more and more incredible the closer we got. Then we got into the city. Now mind you, I have never been in a big city like this, the closest thing I’ve seen to Chicago is Salt Lake City. The buildings were gigantic and amazing. The driving was terrifying! I seriously thought I could die that day. The parking was crazy, and scary. The people were scary. The Navy pier was cool, we saw the stained glass museum, the hot dogs were phenomenal at Chub A Dub Flub. Then we left cause it was stressful just being in that city! I was so relieved as we left, even though everything there was incredible. We drove for an hour or two to a hotel… apparently this hotel had just opened the day before we got there! So I was expecting kind of nice, new things….no. It was a pretty old hotel that had be RE-opened. Let’s just say, there was an iron burn in the carpet… yeah. Then it was our last day and long stretch to DC! Little did we know there would be a million TOLL roads! We did not budget for that! But we did get to see gravity hill! That was cool! Then we finally made it to Nathan’s cousin’s house!

They were the best hosts ever! We had our own room and a nice air mattress. They fed us! We spent a week there near DC, we got to ride the metro, see some museums, some monuments, the white house, all the cool things basically. It was SO HUMID! I seriously don’t think that I have sweat that much ever before. But we got to go the the DC temple (which is actually in Maryland) and it was so beautiful! I was so glad we could do that! Then our Belgium adventure began!

We left the airport at about 11:30 PM on Sept 10^th. It was cool because every seat had a screen where you could watch movies (I watched like 5) they even gave us little tooth brushes! It was a very long flight though. They made us keep our window covers down so people could sleep… We got to Turkey at about 4 PM Turkish time. The airport was amazing, a whole shopping mall, a food court, a hotel INSIDE the airport! But 15 hours of a layover is kind of a lot… we tried to sleep on the seats but it was difficult, for me at least, Nathan can still pretty much sleep anywhere. But we finally got on our last plane and made our way to Belgium! I just watched movies again the whole time.

We got to Brussels at about noon their time. We were so excited to be there! As soon as we left the airport and got outside the first thing I noticed was that everyone smokes! After a little trial and error we found out which bus to take to get us closest to our flat. Figured out how to pay for it. Not having service on our phone was tricky. We got to the bus stop and figured out where to go from a picture of a map on Nathan’s phone. As we walked to our place we just saw the city’s neighborhood. There are a lot of pharmacies, convenience stores, and all the building are the same thing, there is just a long stretch of buildings that are all connected, there’s one door and like 5 doorbells then they unlock the door for you. Anyway, we were so relieved when we saw the door to our place! We buzzed our flat and the landlord let us in and met with us. His French accent was so thick it was hard to understand him. But he was nice and showed us around our tiny little place. Our bed is the couch. We have no oven. Our fridge is mini. Our bathroom is as big as our living/bed room. There is no shower curtain. A clothes washer but no dryer. But it’s nice! We have a TV!... Jet lag wasn’t very nice though! We would go to bed and not be able to sleep for hours! Then when we did sleep we slept in until like 3 PM! But we finally got over it

So we have explored the Grand Place (pronounced: grawnd plaz) a couple times and it is seriously so beautiful! The architecture is phenomenal and everything is amazing. Oh and the sidewalks are all like brick… and I trip over it all the time! We’ve been to a few grocery stores, still trying to figure out the best one, there’s nothing here like wal-mart, everything is smaller. Oh and I am SO glad that we don’t have a car here! The driving is crazy! There’s no yellow lines on the roads! I would get so confused! We went to church on the first Sunday but we didn’t know how to get there so we just walked…. For like 2 hours, it was 4 miles. Then right before we got there an African lady picked us up and takes us the rest of the way, luckily she spoke English! And when we got to church she told us where to go and helped us, she was so nice!!! So they translate all of church in French and English and there is a Spanish relief society. It was so great and everyone was SO friendly! It was awesome! A little too friendly though because we got roped into teaching Sunday school for the next two weeks! There were so many missionaries too! A pair of senior missionaries offered us a ride home and we ended up going to their place for dinner! They are so cute! The sister gave us a map and told us the best waffle places, the best grocery store, the cool fountains, and basically everything! It was amazing! So that was basically the first week

Nathan started his internship and he is doing really well and he is loving it! He is really interested in what he is doing which is great! He really likes the guys he works with! From what I understand he is compiling a list of religious prisoners throughout the world and this list is going to be published into their annual report that goes to the EU and helps them make human rights policies. It’s way cool! Me on the other hand, I’m pretty much a bum. I don’t do anything all day really. I have started working out! I clean sometimes… I usually don’t go outside. I probably will at some point, when I get more comfortable! I’ve been reading up on some things, playing games, and… that’s about it, but I’ll get more productive!

So that’s it so far! If I missed anything I’ll edit this or something. It’s been 2 ½ weeks so far and honestly I miss the states. It’s just more comfortable for me ya know. I am loving it here though, I am soaking in all the culture and having an awesome adventure, but I gotta say I will be very happy when we land in DC and are home for Christmas!

Conclusions...

Family: The Lord has put so much emphasis on the importance of Family. I am very passionate about my family and intend to do whatever I can to help them and keep my family intact. I know that if I put the Lord first he will bless my family and me with the things that we need. I know that through Him we can find hope and solace through anything that we are facing. I intend to head the council of the Prophets and rely on Heavenly Father to help and support me in my efforts to care for my family.

Atonement: Words have no power to describe the way I feel about the atonement. Christ’s sacrifice was the ultimate gift that our loving Father in Heaven gave to us, His children.  Because of that gift we can be reunited with Him, we can live our lives free of past guilt’s; we can continue to strive to be better in all ways. No matter what happens to us we can have the comfort knowing that Christ has suffered what we are suffering, and on top of that he has suffered for the sins that we have committed. I will live my life striving to be worthy of this great gift.

Agency: Agency is another one of God’s great gifts to us. Agency is what this whole plan is all about, without agency there would be no plan, no purpose, and no life. I am so grateful for this gift and that I was able to fight for it in the pre-mortal life. Agency is sacred to Heavenly Father and he trusts us enough to let us have it, we should regard it with the same sanctity. I learned from the talks that I read that the only way that we can feel true happiness and joy is through agency and the atonement. We are responsible for our lives and the choices we make and thus can only be happy by using our agency to do good.

Pornography: Reading talks about pornography and the power it can have over us just made me feel so extremely grateful that I have not fallen into its trap and that I married a man who similarly has been untainted by pornography’s satanic influence. The talks that I read made me have a stronger conviction to keep this filth out of my family. They all had very good advice on how to protect our families and I will be implementing all of those ideas. The damaging effect that pornography has on the spirit is unmatched and I will do all that I can to keep my family and those I love away from it.

Temple Attendance: I chose this topic as my personal application topic because I have been very blessed lately to live in areas that have nearby temples. I attend the temple fairly often but not as often as I know I should. I wanted to be inspired more to go to the temple and receive those blessings. The talks that I read and the quotes that I gathered did just that. Going to the temple really has such a great healing effect on the spirit. Even if we are ‘sick’ in spirit, simply living in this world can and will taint our spirits. Going to the temple cleanses us and we are blessed for our sacrifices.

Setting Goals: I chose this topic because it is something that I am not very good at. My husband is a goal setter and he is very motivated to achieve his goals, while I am of the mindset of ‘if I don’t set a goal I cannot fail’. Reading that talks that I did made me realize that if I do not push myself and strive to achieve things that may not even be possible, I will grow in spirit and knowledge. A lot of the quotes I found on this topic were centered around missionary work (not surprisingly). The emphasis that I got was that we as members should always set and have goals to become better and to spread the gospel to everyone that we know. Even if we cannot succeed in many or most of our goals, at least we are trying and that in itself is noteworthy.

Charity: I love this topic mainly because it is something that I am striving to do better in. Sometimes I can be very selfish and prideful, but I am trying to be more like Christ and have more love for my fellow man. What I learned from that apostles was that really, it is our responsibility to be charitable and care for our brothers and sisters who need it. As members of this church, we are constantly representing Christ and our Heavenly Father, and because of that, we are obligated to care for others. Something that I previously had not pondered is my responsibility. Knowing this now will inspire me to be more charitable.

Scripture Study: I loved all the correlations between scripture study and personal revelation and getting answers to questions. That is something that is said all the time but it is something that I have not experienced a lot personally. I read my scriptures but I could do better at studying them. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have had to take religion classes in college because I have learned so much and have had to study the scriptures. It is amazing what you can learn from other people’s insights! From the talks I read I have learned more of the importance of personal scripture study and I think that I will start studying by topic.

Patience: This is another Christ-like attribute that I have been trying to get better at in my life. Through the apostles addresses I have noticed that they emphasized being patient with ourselves and our human frailty as well as being patient with others because they are human. Sometimes I feel like learning should be so simple and easy, so then I get frustrated when I don’t or can’t learn something as fast or as easy as I thought it should be. We need to have patience with ourselves and remember that we are on the Lord’s errand in this life, and everything will come to pass in the Lord’s time.

Revelation: Revelation is such an important attribute to our testimonies. From the apostles I learned how to gain revelation and the importance of acting upon it. This is something that I struggled with as a teenager and came to the knowledge through trials and diligence. Something that is very important to me and that I have read the apostles say is that we need to trust in the faith that we already have and the moments of insight and revelation that have already occurred before we doubt. This is something that has kept me going through almost every trial in my life and I am so grateful for that knowledge!

Seeking Riches:  This topic is simply just an interesting one and I wanted to see how many of the apostles had spoken on a topic such as this one. As I had thought, not many apostles have, but the quotes that I did find I liked a lot! The apostles connected riches with being charitable, relying on the Lord, being wise, and being happy. 

Elder Holland.. Holy Moly

ELDER HOLLAND              

“Lord, I Believe” April 2013

This talk was directed to the young church members. He talked about being forgiving of ourselves for not knowing everything and to lean on our faith to continue to grow in knowledge.

“Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe.”
Elder Holland, “Lord, I believe” April 2013 General Conference

“In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited.”
Elder Holland, “Lord, I believe” April 2013 General Conference

“Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle.”
Elder Holland, “Lord, I believe” April 2013 General Conference

“So be kind regarding human frailty—your own as well as that of those who serve with you in a Church led by volunteer, mortal men and women. Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we.”
Elder Holland, “Lord, I believe” April 2013 General Conference

I feel like it is so important to remember that we and others are human and we make mistakes and we have doubts and that it is ok. We just need to remember the faith that we have, remember the confirmations that we have had and lean on those to bring us to a greater knowledge of the gospel. We need to try to believe and act upon that desire.

“Safety For the Soul” October 2009

This talk is in my opinion the most compelling, strong, irrefutable testimony of the Book of Mormon that has ever been.

“I ask that my testimony of the Book of Mormon and all that it implies, given today under my own oath and office, be recorded by men on earth and angels in heaven. I hope I have a few years left in my “last days,” but whether I do or do not, I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgment bar of God that I declared to the world, in the most straightforward language I could summon, that the Book of Mormon is true, that it came forth the way Joseph said it came forth and was given to bring happiness and hope to the faithful in the travail of the latter days.”
Elder Holland, Safety for the Soul, October 2013 General Conference

“would these men blaspheme before God by continuing to fix their lives, their honor, and their own search for eternal salvation on a book (and by implication a church and a ministry) they had fictitiously created out of whole cloth?

Never mind that their wives are about to be widows and their children fatherless. Never mind that their little band of followers will yet be “houseless, friendless and homeless” and that their children will leave footprints of blood across frozen rivers and an untamed prairie floor. ⁹Never mind that legions will die and other legions live declaring in the four quarters of this earth that they know the Book of Mormon and the Church which espouses it to be true. Disregard all of that, and tell me whether in this hour of death these two men would enter the presence of their Eternal Judge quoting from and finding solace in a book which, if not the very word of God, would brand them as imposters and charlatans until the end of time? They would not do that! They were willing to die rather than deny the divine origin and the eternal truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.”
Elder Holland, Safety for the Soul, October 2013 General Conference

 “Brothers and sisters, God always provides safety for the soul, and with the Book of Mormon, He has again done that in our time.”
Elder Holland, Safety for the Soul, October 2013 General Conference

Elder Holland’s talent with teaching and speaking in general simply makes this talk legendary. There are really no words to describe how this talk makes me feel. I so strongly believe every word in this talk and can only hope that others will feel the same as they read these words.

FULL TEXT HEREhttp://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/safety-for-the-soul?lang=eng&query=

Elder Hales

ELDER HALES

“General Conference: Strengthening Faith and Testimony” October 2013

This Talk focused on the importance of general conference and how it can help us and how we can prepare for it.

““You must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right.” Conference messages come to us after prayerful preparation, through the Holy Ghost.”
Elder Hales, General Conference: Strengthening Faith and Testimony, October 2013 General Conference

 “What is said is not as important as what we hear and what we feel. That is why we make an effort to experience conference in a setting where the still, small voice of the Spirit can be clearly heard, felt, and understood.”
Elder Hales, General Conference: Strengthening Faith and Testimony, October 2013 General Conference

 “The greatest blessings of general conference come to us after the conference is over. Remember the pattern recorded frequently in scripture: we gather to hear the words of the Lord, and we return to our homes to live them.”
Elder Hales, General Conference: Strengthening Faith and Testimony, October 2013 General Conference

I feel as a whole, we take general conference for granted. We get to hear answers to our prayers, personal guidance from our Heavenly Father through the voices of His loving servants. I am hugely at fault for not preparing as much as I should for conference. I have not received as much personal guidance as I could have every year but I will truly strive to do better and do as the Lord would have me do.

“Seeking to Know God, Our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ” October 2009

This Talk was about Heavenly Father and His nature. It quotes scriptures that explains His nature and how we can gain a testimony of Him and that He exists.

“The light of belief is within you, waiting to be awakened and intensified by the Spirit of God and the Light of Christ, which you are born with.”
Elder Hales, Seeking to Know God, Our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ” October 2009 General Conference

“I testify that the way to know the truth about God is through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost, the third member of the Godhead, is a personage of spirit. His work is to “testify of [God]” and to “teach [us] all things.””
Elder Hales, Seeking to Know God, Our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ” October 2009 General Conference

“When we do not do what is right or when our outlook is dominated by skepticism, cynicism, criticism, and irreverence toward others and their beliefs, the Spirit cannot be with us. We then act in a way that the prophets describe as the natural man.”
Elder Hales, Seeking to Know God, Our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ” October 2009 General Conference

 “Cultivate a diligent desire to know that God lives. This desire leads us to ponder on the things of heaven—to let the evidence of God all around us touch our hearts.”
Elder Hales, Seeking to Know God, Our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ” October 2009 General Conference

I loved the references Elder Hales used to prove what he says about the nature of God. I really like that we have those scriptures so that we can really know our Father in Heaven. We are made in his likeness, that fact seriously just makes me feel more loved by Him. 

More Ballard and Scott

“Finding Joy through Loving Service” April 2011

This Talk focused on charity and why it should be such a focus in our lives. It also spoke heavily on missionary service.

“Brothers and sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ is simple, no matter how much we try to make it complicated. We should strive to keep our lives similarly simple, unencumbered by extraneous influences, focused on those things that matter most.”
Elder Ballard, Finding Joy through Loving Service, April 2011 General Conference

“By treating each other kindly, speaking words of support and encouragement, and being sensitive to each other’s needs, we can create loving unity among ward members. Where charity exists, there is no place for gossip or unkind words.”
Elder Ballard, Finding Joy through Loving Service, April 2011 General Conference

“Through our heartfelt kindness and service, we can make friends with those whom we serve. From these friendships come better understanding of our devotion to the gospel and a desire to learn more about us.”
Elder Ballard, Finding Joy through Loving Service, April 2011 General Conference

“In all of our service, we need to be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. The still, small voice will let us know who needs our help and what we can do to help them.”
Elder Ballard, Finding Joy through Loving Service, April 2011 General Conference

Much like the first talk, this one was also inspiring. It is great how Elder Ballard is so passionate about missionary work. Love should be our motivating factor in everything we do and it is what we should be focusing on improving in our lives, well mine in particular!

ELDER SCOTT

“For Peace at Home” April 2013

This Talk focused on how we can make our homes Christ-centered and the good that come out of doing that.

“One of the greatest blessings we can offer to the world is the power of a Christ-centered home where the gospel is taught, covenants are kept, and love abounds.”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“Be certain that every decision you make, whether temporal or spiritual, is conditioned on what the Savior would have you do. When He is the center of your home, there is peace and serenity. There is a spirit of assurance that pervades the home, and it is felt by all who dwell there.”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“The prophetic counsel to have daily personal and family prayer, daily personal and family scripture study, and weekly family home evening are the essential, weight-bearing beams in the construction of a Christ-centered home. Without these regular practices it will be difficult to find the desired and much-needed peace and refuge from the world.”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“Be obedient to the prophetic teachings Christ would have you follow. Don’t rationalize away future happiness by taking shortcuts instead of applying sound gospel principles. Remember: little things lead to big things. Seemingly insignificant indiscretions or neglect can lead to big problems. More importantly, simple, consistent, good habits lead to a life full of bountiful blessings.”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“Greater peace will come as you couple your efforts to be obedient with serving those around you. So many individuals who have what they perceive to be meager talents humbly and generously use those talents to bless the lives of those around them.”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“As you center your home on the Savior, it will naturally become a refuge not only to your own family but also to friends who live in more difficult circumstances. They will be drawn to the serenity they feel there. Welcome such friends into your home. They will blossom in that Christ-centered environment. Become friends with your children’s friends. Be a worthy example to them.”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“We need to trust in the Lord and in His timing that a positive response to our prayers and rescue efforts can occur. We do all that we can to serve, to bless, and to submissively acknowledge God’s will in all things. We exercise faith and remember that there are some things that must be left to the Lord. ”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“We need not worry if we can’t simultaneously do all of the things that the Lord has counseled us to do. He has spoken of a time and a season for all things. In response to our sincere prayers for guidance, He will direct us in what should be emphasized at each phase of our life. We can learn, grow, and become like Him one consistent step at a time.”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“The Joy of Redeeming the Dead” October 2012

This Talk focused on the responsibility we have to do our own ancestors work in the temple.

“Any work you do in the temple is time well spent, but receiving ordinances vicariously for one of your own ancestors will make the time in the temple more sacred, and even greater blessings will be received. The First Presidency has declared, “Our preeminent obligation is to seek out and identify our own ancestors.””
Elder Scott, The Joy of Redeeming the Dead, October 2012 General Conference

“temple Worship: the Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need” April 2009

Elder Scott is very passionate about this topic. He talked about temple attendance and why we should make it a priority in our lives, and what we can do to make our temple attendance more meaningful.

“When a temple is conveniently nearby, small things may interrupt your plans to go to the temple. Set specific goals, considering your circumstances, of when you can and will participate in temple ordinances. Then do not allow anything to interfere with that plan. This pattern will guarantee that those who live in the shadow of a temple will be as blessed as are those who plan far ahead and make a long trip to the temple.”
Elder Scott, Temple Worship:, April 2009 General Conference

“I encourage you to establish your own goal of how frequently you will avail yourself of the ordinances offered in our operating temples. What is there that is more important than attending and participating in the ordinances of the temple? What activity could have a greater impact and provide more joy and profound happiness for a couple than worshipping together in the temple?”
Elder Scott, Temple Worship:, April 2009 General Conference

“What I am trying to teach is that when we keep the temple covenants we have made and when we live righteously in order to maintain the blessings promised by those ordinances, then come what may, we have no reason to worry or to feel despondent.”
Elder Scott, Temple Worship:, April 2009 General Conference

Personal Realization thanks to Elder Ballard

ELDER BALLARD

“Put Your Trust In The Lord” October 2013

“the Lord is hastening His work. In our day this can be done only when every member of the Church reaches out with love to share the truths of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Elder Ballard, Put Your Trust In The Lord, October 2013 General Conference

“Make the decision to do what Jesus Christ has asked us to do.”
Elder Ballard, Put Your Trust In The Lord, October 2013 General Conference

“It is impossible for us to fail when we do our best when we are on the Lord’s errand. While the outcome is a result of the exercise of one’s agency, sharing the gospel is our responsibility.”
Elder Ballard, Put Your Trust In The Lord, October 2013 General Conference

“You don’t have to be an outgoing person or an eloquent, persuasive teacher. If you have an abiding love and hope within you, the Lord has promised if you “lift up your voices unto this people [and] speak the thoughts that [He] shall put into your hearts, … you shall not be confounded before men;”
Elder Ballard, Put Your Trust In The Lord, October 2013 General Conference

“ I realize that some of you may feel heavy laden, but I pray that none of you would ever feel that reaching out in normal, pleasant ways to share the gospel would ever be a burden. Rather, it is a privilege! There is no greater joy in life than being anxiously engaged in the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ballard, Put Your Trust In The Lord, October 2013 General Conference

This talk was really inspiring! I have had missionary opportunities before and kind of did my best for the church, but for some reason it just clicked that the reason that we should be wanting to do missionary work is because of love! I know this is super old news and everyone knows that, but it really just hit me. And it made me realize that if I was more loving and my friends knew that what I do is out of love, I would be more successful. For some reason I have a hard time putting my thoughts and feelings into words (vocal words more so than written). Because of this, I have a hard time expressing my feelings, whether it be of apology, gratefulness, love, etc. This is probably why I do not share the gospel as much as I should! This talk made me realize that Heavenly Father will help me if I try. That is all we need to do, try.

Elder Nelson

ELDER NELSON

“Decisions for Eternity” October 2013

This Talk focused on the effects of the decisions we make, the importance of our decisions, what should influence our decisions, and family.

“Recently I heard a chorus of children sing the beloved song “I Am a Child of God.” I wondered, “Why haven’t I heard that song rendered more often by singing mothers or faithful fathers?” Are we not all children of God? In truth, not one of us can ever stop being a child of God!”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Decisions for Eternity, October 2013 General Conference

So true! We are all dearly loved children of our Heavenly Father and we should never forget that! It is not only children who benefit from being children of God but it is all of us!

“Each time you look in the mirror, see your body as your temple. That truth—refreshed gratefully each day—can positively influence your decisions about how you will care for your body and how you will use it. And those decisions will determine your destiny. How could this be? Because your body is the temple for your spirit. And how you use your body affects your spirit. Some of the decisions that will determine your eternal destiny include: How will you choose to care for and use your body? What spiritual attributes will you choose to develop?”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Decisions for Eternity, October 2013 General Conference

Seeing our bodies as temples can help us make beneficial decisions for our temporal and spiritual health. Sometimes it is hard to see our bodies as temples because we often only see the imperfections and wish that our bodies were different somehow but this precious gift from God should be seen as just that, precious! Seeing your body as a gift and then treating it as such can and will have great positive effects on our health and spirituality!

“God implanted strong appetites within us for nourishment and love, vital for the human family to be perpetuated. When we master our appetites within the bounds of God’s laws, we can enjoy longer life, greater love, and consummate joy.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Decisions for Eternity, October 2013 General Conference

Desires are not bad! They are divine! We just need to “master our appetites” which is possible with help from the Lord and through the atonement!

“We can change our behavior. Our very desires can change. How? There is only one way. True change—permanent change—can come only through the healing, cleansing, and enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He loves you—each of you!”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Decisions for Eternity, October 2013 General Conference

I feel like this is something that is very difficult for us humans. Permanent change. But the atonement is there for us if we will use it! Heavenly Father wants to see us succeed so He will help us through our difficult times if we ask him. We cannot be above asking for help, we all need it at one point or another!

“My dear brothers and sisters, each day is a day of decision, and our decisions determine our destiny. One day each of us will stand before the Lord in judgment. We will each have a personal interview with Jesus Christ. We will account for decisions that we made about our bodies, our spiritual attributes, and how we honored God’s pattern for marriage and family. That we may choose wisely each day’s decisions for eternity is my earnest prayer in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Decisions for Eternity, October 2013 General Conference

                               

“Living by Scriptural Guidance” October 2000

This talk talked about why we need guidance, where we can get it, and how we can achieve it. The scriptures were the answer to all of these questions.

“He provided a guide—a spiritual road map—to help us achieve success in our journey. We call that guide the standard works, so named because they—the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price—constitute the standard by which we should live.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Living by Scriptural Guidance, October 2000 General Conference

Heavenly Father loves us so much, He did not just send us down here to fend for ourselves, He sent us down here with a map. I feel like often, mankind is just like that, men, who never ask for directions and thinks that maps are beneath them. Being humble and putting our pride aside is a huge factor in our general success in this life.

“In your journey through life, you meet many obstacles and make some mistakes. Scriptural guidance helps you to recognize error and make the necessary correction. You stop going in the wrong direction. You carefully study the scriptural road map. Then you proceed with repentance and restitution required to get on the “strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life.””
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Living by Scriptural Guidance, October 2000 General Conference

                               

“To feast means more than to taste. To feast means to savor. We savor the scriptures by studying them in a spirit of delightful discovery and faithful obedience.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Living by Scriptural Guidance, October 2000 General Conference

Feast! I know I do not do this enough! Yeah sure I read the scriptures every day, but do I feast? No. Should I be feasting? Absolutely. Especially in a spirit of delightful discovery! I love that phrase! No matter how many times we have read the scriptures and think we know what is in them, we simply do not.

“As you ponder and pray about doctrinal principles, the Holy Ghost will speak to your mind and your heart. From events portrayed in the scriptures, new insights will come and principles relevant to your situation will distill upon your heart.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Living by Scriptural Guidance, October 2000 General Conference

Such a great promise! We all need insights relevant to our own situations. We can gain those insights from the events portrayed in the scriptures!

“Time for scripture study requires a schedule that will be honored. Otherwise, blessings that matter most will be at the mercy of things that matter least.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Living by Scriptural Guidance, October 2000 General Conference

                                Just do it!

“Perfection Pending” October 1995

“We all need to remember: men are that they might have joy—not guilt trips! We also need to remember that the Lord gives no commandments that are impossible to obey. But sometimes we fail to comprehend them fully.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Perfection Pending, October 1995 General Conference

“Mortal perfection can be achieved as we try to perform every duty, keep every law, and strive to be as perfect in our sphere as our Heavenly Father is in his. If we do the best we can, the Lord will bless us according to our deeds and the desires of our hearts.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Perfection Pending, October 1995 General Conference

“No accountable individual can receive exaltation in the celestial kingdom without the ordinances of the temple. Endowments and sealings are for our personal perfection and are secured through our faithfulness.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Perfection Pending, October 1995 General Conference

“Meanwhile, brothers and sisters, let us do the best we can and try to improve each day. When our imperfections appear, we can keep trying to correct them. We can be more forgiving of flaws in ourselves and among those we love. We can be comforted and forbearing. The Lord taught, “Ye are not able to abide the presence of God now … ; wherefore, continue in patience until ye are perfected.””
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Perfection Pending, October 1995 General Conference

Elder Oaks

“Followers of Christ” April 2013

“Following Christ is not a casual or occasional practice but a continuous commitment and way of life that applies at all times and in all places.”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Followers of Christ, April 2013 General Conference

I love this. It is a direct call to do better in our lives. We should be constantly emulating the light of Christ. It should be on our minds in every choice we make and every action we make. That is a tall order but it is possibly and we need to do our best.

“In our efforts to rescue and serve, we follow our Savior’s unique example and tender teachings about love: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39). He even commanded us to love our enemies (see Luke 6:27–28). And in His great teachings at the end of His mortal ministry, He said: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34–35).”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Followers of Christ, April 2013 General Conference

Charity is the pure love of God. Which is what we should always strive to emulate. We are human, thus it is sometimes hard to love our neighbors. But Christ loves us and sees our eternal potential and we should at least try to see others as their Father in Heaven sees them. I also love the last part, people we know that we are Christians by the way we treat other people. They will know us by our fruits.

““We are the children of God, and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16–17). This means, as we are told in the New Testament, that we are “heirs … of eternal life” (Titus 3:7) and that if we come to the Father, we are to “inherit all things” (Revelation 21:7)—all that He has—a concept our mortal minds can hardly grasp. But at least we can understand that achieving this ultimate destiny in eternity is possible only if we follow our Savior, Jesus Christ, who taught that “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Followers of Christ, April 2013 General Conference

I love these references stating that we are children of God and will inherit all that he has. Elder Oaks is so right when he says “A concept our mortal minds can hardly grasp” I have thought that phrase so many times. It is just mind blowing to think about the possibility of our eternal future! Our Heavenly Father loves us so much and we have the opportunity to live with Him again if we only follow Christ and what He has taught us! It’s fantastic!

“When we worthily partake of the sacrament, we are promised that we will “always have his Spirit to be with [us].” To qualify for that promise we covenant that we will “always remember him””

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Pornography, April 2005 General Conference

I love this quote because I never really put two and two together. If we always remember Him, we will always have His Spirit to be with us! Because obviously if we are remembering Him, We are not going to be doing sinful and stupid things. We will do what is right, and thus have His spirit with us!

“But the good news is that no one needs to follow the evil, downward descent to torment. Everyone caught on that terrible escalator has the key to reverse his course. He can escape. Through repentance he can be clean.”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Pornography, April 2005 General Conference

                                Yay Atonement!

Seeking Riches

“Our prosperity brings some real challenges because many are getting rich, more of us are waxing fat, and as a result of greed, selfishness, and overindulgence, we could lose the Spirit and literally kick ourselves out of the Church. Money and material things are on the minds of almost everyone. As Morris Chalfant wrote: “The great [question] of the twentieth century is, ‘How can I acquire wealth?’ No question occupies a larger place in the minds and … hearts of … people today than this. … This is true of men in every station and in every walk of life.”
Elder Joe J. Christensen, Greed, Selfishness, and Overindulgence, April 1999 General Conference

“If we are to be self-reliant and in a position to share, obviously we must acquire some resources. If we live within our means and avoid debt, resources can be accumulated. There are those with average incomes who, over a lifetime, do amass some means, and there are those who receive large salaries who do not. What is the difference? It is simply spending less than they receive, saving along the way, and taking advantage of the power of compound interest.”
Elder Joe J. Christensen, Greed, Selfishness, and Overindulgence, April 1999 General Conference

“The more our hearts and minds are turned to assisting others less fortunate than we, the more we will avoid the spiritually cankering effects that result from greed, selfishness, and overindulgence. Our resources are a stewardship, not our possessions. I am confident that we will literally be called upon to make an accounting before God concerning how we have used them to bless lives and build the kingdom.”
Elder Joe J. Christensen, Greed, Selfishness, and Overindulgence, April 1999 General Conference

“You need not be either rich or hold high position to be completely successful and truly happy. In fact, if these things come to you, and they may, true success must be achieved in spite of them, not because of them. It is remarkably difficult to teach this truth. If one who is not well known, and not well compensated, claims that he has learned for himself that neither fame nor fortune are essential to success, we tend to reject his statement as self-serving. What else could he say and not count himself a failure?”
President Boyd K Packer, The Choice, October 1980 General Conference

President Uchtdorf

“We see baptism as the starting point in our journey of discipleship. Our daily walk with Jesus Christ leads to peace and purpose in this life and profound joy and eternal salvation in the world to come.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Come, Join with Us, October 2013 General Conference

I love how it all starts with baptism.  I have never really thought about the fact that our whole discipleship begins with baptism, and leads to joy and eternal salvation, who wouldn’t want that? It may not be an easy journey, actually it never will be an easy journey, but the answers are easy. We just have to stick to it.

“In this Church that honors personal agency so strongly… we respect those who honestly search for truth. It may break our hearts when their journey takes them away from the Church we love and the truth we have found, but we honor their right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience, just as we claim that privilege for ourselves.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Come, Join with Us, October 2013 General Conference

This is an interesting concept that I never really thought about before. I guess it is hard to think that someone who has been in the church, did not find what they were looking for. But it happens! I am not one to judge them, I don’t know their life, but I do have to honor their agency no matter how sad it may be for me and for their future.

“first doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.⁸ We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Come, Join with Us, October 2013 General Conference

I love this! When we have doubts we always doubt our faith first! We give the credit to our doubts rather than our beliefs which doesn’t really make sense. We should question our doubts before our faith. It does keep us prisoner from the joy and love we can experience in our faith from Heavenly Father and Christ.

“If you expect to find perfect people here, you will be disappointed. But if you seek the pure doctrine of Christ, the word of God “which healeth the wounded soul,”⁹ and the sanctifying influence of the Holy Ghost, then here you will find them.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Come, Join with Us, October 2013 General Conference

This is a common thing, people think they k now Mormon beliefs so they judge us according to what they have been told, and when we make any sort of mistake they take that to being that the church must be false. How does that even make sense? People who want to know docrine rather than perfect people will be satisfied with the church.

“there may be times in our lives when rising up and continuing on may seem beyond our own ability. That day on a snow-covered slope, I learned something. Even when we think we cannot rise up, there is still hope. And sometimes we just need someone to look us in the eyes, take our hand, and say, “You can do it now!””
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, You Can Do It Now!, October 2013 General Conference

I love this statement of hope. Hope is something that I strongly believe in, and when we lose it, we lose out motivation, our happiness, our drive, our reason for being, so hope is a huge thing. We should all strive to be the one that helps others get up and when the time comes that we need it ourselves, Heavenly Father will bless us with angels of friends and family to help us get back up.

“our destiny is not determined by the number of times we stumble but by the number of times we rise up, dust ourselves off, and move forward.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, You Can Do It Now!, October 2013 General Conference

Patience and endurance in the faith are what help us get up on our own. These two principles are things that I personally need to hone and improve upon. Our ‘destiny’ is something that we choose. We have the agency to get up and keep pressing forward or to stop and give up. We just need to make the right choices

“there is an important difference between the sorrow for sin that leads to repentance and the sorrow that leads to despair.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, You Can Do It Now!, October 2013 General Conference

I just feel like this is an important thing to remember. Growing up, I probably would not have made this differentiation. But it really is so important. When we are in sorrow it can be productive or hindering and I feel like many people just get depressed and never end up repenting and knowing the goodness and joy of being clean again. If only they knew!!!

“when guilt leads to self-loathing or prevents us from rising up again, it is impeding rather than promoting our repentance.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, You Can Do It Now!, October 2013 General Conference

               

“We have a champion, a Savior, who walked through the valley of the shadow of death on our behalf. He gave Himself as a ransom for our sins. No one has ever had greater love than this—Jesus Christ, the Lamb without blemish, willingly laid Himself on the altar of sacrifice and paid the price for our sins to “the uttermost farthing.”⁷ He took upon Himself our suffering. He took our burdens, our guilt upon His shoulders.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, You Can Do It Now!, October 2013 General Conference

I love the vivid words here, it paints such a great picture of Christ and what He went through for us! He is the ultimate example and repenting is just one thing that we can do to attempt to repay Him for what He has given us, which is everything! The potential for everything!

“If we see healthy eating and exercise as something only our doctor expects of us, we will likely fail. If we see these choices as who we are and who we want to become, we have a greater chance of staying the course and succeeding.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, You Can Do It Now!, October 2013 General Conference

This never really crossed my mind before, I am not a very avid goal setter (I know I probably should be) but it is interesting that we really have to want success to our goals in order to achieve them. I mean yeah we all want to get fit, or get healthy but our actions are what really say what we want. If we want the potato chips more than we want to be healthy, we are going to eat them.

“God’s light is real. It is available to all! It gives life to all things.¹ It has the power to soften the sting of the deepest wound. It can be a healing balm for the loneliness and sickness of our souls. In the furrows of despair, it can plant the seeds of a brighter hope. It can enlighten the deepest valleys of sorrow. It can illuminate the path before us and lead us through the darkest night into the promise of a new dawn.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Hope of God’s Light, April 2013 General Conference

The power of Heavenly Father’s light is incredible. It can bring peace and happiness to the most desolate situations and lives. It is the letting the light in that I feel like people struggle with. With so much to gain and nothing to lose, what would stop anyone from letting the light in? It is healing, the atonement is part of the light and it can heal our wounds, mend our hearts, give us a future worth living. I personally love light!

“Nevertheless, spiritual light rarely comes to those who merely sit in darkness waiting for someone to flip a switch. It takes an act of faith to open our eyes to the Light of Christ.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Hope of God’s Light, April 2013 General Conference

This is an important principle. To take a step of faith does not require that we know something or believe something, it requires a STEP. Acting to get to believing or knowing is how that works, it doesn’t just happen or appear, we have to do something.

“Yes, we will make mistakes. Yes, we will falter. But as we seek to increase our love for God and strive to love our neighbor, the light of the gospel will surround and uplift us. The darkness will surely fade, because it cannot exist in the presence of light. As we draw near to God, He will draw near to us.⁶ And day by day, the hope of God’s light will grow within us, “brighter and brighter until the perfect day.””
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Hope of God’s Light, April 2013 General Conference

                I love that we don’t have to be perfect, we just have to strive for it. It is comforting to know that I am not the only person who makes mistakes, fails, has to start over. Because of the light of the gospel I know that whatever happens, no matter how many times I fail, I get get back up and the Lord will help me succeed.

“patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Continue in Patience, April 2010 General Conference

I like the “active waiting” phrase to describe patience. Waiting seems like such a boring and pointless thing, but active waiting, I can definitely see how that can be productive and good for us.  It requires work, hope and faith. Those are all key to patience. We obviously need to work because we can’t get anything if we don’t work for it. Hope is so important because like I said earlier, hope is what gives us meaning. Faith, faith is what helps us rely on our Heavenly Father who knows what is best for us and wants so desperately to give it to us. Endure well!

 “As the Lord is patient with us, let us be patient with those we serve. Understand that they, like us, are imperfect. They, like us, make mistakes. They, like us, want others to give them the benefit of the doubt. Never give up on anyone. And that includes not giving up on yourself.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Continue in Patience, April 2010 General Conference

I like connecting these two things. The Lord is patient with us, so we (taking His perfect example) should be patient with others. I feel like we are all innately a little selfish so we don’t always think about other people and what they might be going through, how similar they are to us, the mistakes that they have made similar to our own.  Again, the example of the Lord is key. Patience can help us think more and help more and be more selfless and kind to those who may be in need of our help.

“We must learn that in the Lord’s plan, our understanding comes “line upon line, precept upon precept.” ⁶ In short, knowledge and understanding come at the price of patience.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Continue in Patience, April 2010 General Conference

As frustrating as this can be at times, it is true and it is important. If we got all of the information that we wanted at once, we would not be able to handle it and our brains would freak out! Again, this is Heavenly Father doing what is best for us even though we don’t understand it so we don’t agree sometimes.

“Patience means staying with something until the end. It means delaying immediate gratification for future blessings. It means reining in anger and holding back the unkind word. It means resisting evil, even when it appears to be making others rich.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Continue in Patience, April 2010 General Conference

                                Amen.