Scriptures with my Sister

I have taken to studying Preach My Gospel for an hour each Sunday morning now that we have morning church. This in itself has been so amazing. It is going to prepare me so well for my mission! But not only that, I can learn so much about the gospel just for myself from the wisdom in those sage pages. The coolest thing, though, is that I have been setting an example in my home by studying this each week. But not in the way you'd expect.

Each Sunday morning in the middle of my study, my four-year-old sister saunters into my room. The first time this happened, she asked me what I was doing. Our conversation went like this:

Sis: "What are you doing, Whitney?"
Me: "I'm studying the scriptures!"
Sis: "Oh. I like your colored highlighters."

Five minutes later.

Sis: "Why do you study the scriptures?"
Me: "Well, they're the words of Jesus, and I love Jesus, so I want to read His words. That's why I read my scriptures everyday."
Sis: "Oh. When I'm a teenager like you, I'm going to read my scriptures every day, too!"
Me: "Wow! Did you know you can do that right now?"
Sis: *Astonished face
Me: "Yeah! You can get your Book of Mormon and read it everyday!"
Sis: "Oh yes! I'm going to read the scriptures everyday just like you!"

What a cutie! So she got out her scriptures and started reading them. A few days later, I came home from school and found that my sister had two friends over and they were playing make-believe. After a while, she exclaimed, "Oh, girls, I haven't read my scriptures yet today! It's time for me to read the scriptures. You can keep playing." It was wonderful.

I'm so grateful for my little sister. She's my best friend. And I'm so grateful for the role I can have in helping her be excited about and gain a testimony of the gospel. I feel the Spirit so much when she learns about the gospel.

Power of YOUth

I guess I'm pretty sheltered. But I'm okay with that. I wouldn't have to be sheltered if I didn't want to. I could do things behind my parents backs, and lots of it they might never find out. But I love my innocence.
Sometimes I see things inadvertently which cause me to realize a little more just how steep a downward slope our world is traveling. I just saw a 30-second commercial which totally flabbergasted me. It was an ad for a clothing store (I won't name names here), and it showed a guy and a girl, each in their underwear, standing in a room together with lots of clothes at their feet. They proceeded to put on and take off lots of different outfits, whilst flirting with each other. I won't go into any other details, but the advertisement made me really sad. What was even worse were all of the comments underneath the ad. There were a few people who criticized the ad, and there were myriads of grumblers criticizing those people. It was really heartbreaking to see how many people agreed with and defended the ad.

The Lord knew this time of the world would be difficult. He sent us here for that very reason. You all have heard that we were saved for this time, that we are some of the most valiant. Don't take that for granted! Heavenly Father trusts us to do His work. How special is that?

“Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Pet. 2:9.)

We are all brothers and sisters- precious sons and daughters of God. We can acquire strength by calling down the power of heaven. It's simple, and powerful. Pray. Read your scriptures. Do the things you know are right! The Lord will bless you. I know you know this. I know you live this. Today, take it a step further. Do something you didn't think you could do. Rely upon the Lord for help. We can be instrumental in bringing forth the kingdom of God. There is so much power in us, youth. Let's exercise it.

You're An Angel

There's this guy in a few of my classes, let's call him Brandon, who is quite the interesting character. On the outside, he seems really rough. On any given day, Brandon can be seen wearing sweats or dark, baggy jeans with an over-sized t-shirt, and shoes which look at least two sizes too big. He always has a pair of of beats around his neck.

In Spanish, we earn pesos for participating, and for each ten we earn, we receive extra credit. Last week on a peso-turn-in-day, Brandon was lamenting the fact that he only had eight pesos, and that his friend Sean would have given him two more if Sean had been at school that day. Having seventeen pesos myself, I gave him two. He seemed shocked and amazed that someone would want to show kindness to him. The rest of the day, he thanked me over and over, and told everyone around him how nice I was. Over the next couple days Brandon let me go ahead of him in line, always smiled and said hi to me, and thanked me more.

Fast forward to today. I was talking to my friend about why I keep the standards of the church (such as not dating til 16, etc.), and Brandon, who was sitting on the other side of her heard our conversation. It was kind of funny though, because he only heard half of it at first. I was telling my friend about how I don't do drugs and alcohol and Brandon's face went into shock, "You do drugs and alcohol?" The incredulity in his voice was funny, and it made me feel great that he couldn't imagine me doing such things. I informed him that I definitely do not do drugs and alcohol and that he only heard half of the conversation. He seemed relieved. Later my friend and I were talking about chastity, and I said something to the effect of, "Yeah, I definitely don't want to become pregnant in high school!". Again, Brandon's head snapped around and his face was one of shock. "You're... you're.." he stammered. I replied, "No, I'm definitely not pregnant, nor will I be until after I'm married."What happened next is what surprised me the most. His face lit up and he said, "I respect that. I respect that a lot. Good for you!" and he gave me a high five. How sweet is that? But it gets better.

Towards the end of the Spanish period, Brandon was singing/rapping (I think) under his breath to some music he was listening to. In the process of which, he cussed a few times. Immediately, his head snapped up and he had a look on his face as though he'd just run over his mother's cat. He said, "Oh snap! Oh my goodness! I am so, so sorry! You did not just hear what I said! I should not have said those things around you! You're too innocent. You're an angel. You're an angel. I am so sorry!" I thanked him for his respect and thoughtfulness. I had never even asked him to not swear around me. He just knew not to instinctively. How cool is that?

If only the world had more Brandons. At first glance, I didn't know if he was someone I could be friends with, but now I see that he is just so awesome. I know that he notices my example- knowledge which I feel blessed to have. I am so grateful for the cool experiences that Heavenly Father lets us have in our lives!

Small and Simple Example- Great Impact

Lately I've been just a little discouraged because I have felt like I'm not being the example I can be. Especially these past two weeks. I haven't been doing anything wrong to be a bad example, and I've been doing lots of good things, but I just felt a little un-brilliant and uninspiring. I had to keep telling myself, though, that all the little things we do add up. The little choices which make up who we are are noticed by those around us. I reminded myself of the scripture, "...behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass..." (Alma 37:6)

Then, I decided to try to notice the little things I did everyday to help others, be righteous, and set a good example in general. Some of these things included:

• Being patient and loving to those who might annoy me
• Setting and working toward personal goals
• Being optimistic about trials and helping others be optimistic about theirs
• Paying attention and loving to learn in church meetings
• Giving advice to those who come to me with problems
• Being polite and kind to everyone
• Dressing modestly, using good language, keeping the dating standards, keeping the sabbath day holy

These are all small things which I don't ever think twice about over the course of my day, but I realized that their combined effect is really powerful. I bet you all do these things, too! People do notice that we are different, and they think it's awesome! They are drawn to our lights! We just don't always realize it because we can't read minds.

However, there are those awesome occasions when those affected by our awesome examples tell us about it. It's so cool when that happens! That happened to me on Sunday.

An eleven year old girl in our ward came up to me after church and told me that she had noticed me taking notes in Sacrament meeting for several weeks. She decided that she wanted to take notes, too. I was told that her mom bought her a special notebook for it, and that she was going to hang up her notes on her locker. I was so touched and humbled by her acknowledgement of how my actions affected her. Taking notes is a simple thing I do for myself, but because I wanted to bless my own life, it blessed her's too!

So really, we're not the only ones affected by keeping the commandments and our awesome acts of righteousness. Those around us are watching, and the things we do have a ripple effect. Don't be discouraged if no one comes up to you and tells you that you're inspiring them! Just because no one tells you doesn't mean it's not happening! So what will you do with your good example? Who will your ripple touch? You may never know in this life, but just think about all the people you could be inspiring! It's exciting, isn't it?
 

Your Call To Action!

This weekend was really challenging for me. Actually, Friday was, mostly. I had a really hard day of school. I felt really lonely. The worldliness of my school was really affecting the Spirit I was so used to feeling. Though it wasn't true, I felt like none of my friends actually loved me. I thought that if I were to disappear that no one would care.
Ewww. What a day.
During the course of that day, I prayed a lot. I mean, tons. You know how the scriptures talk about pouring out your heart to Heavenly Father? Well, I really poured out my heart to Him on Friday, more than I had in a long time. Afterwards I did feel a bit better, but the comfort I yearned for came gradually. I was expecting a huge wave of relief to wash over me while I cried out to God whilst kneeling on my bed, but it didn't happen that way. The comfort for which I longed came a little at a time over the weekend, mostly in ways I didn't expect.
First, my dad came to talk to me on Friday night. We talked, and I was able to vent about my problems and emotions to him. Then, my family watched a movie together, and I was at peace spending time with them. On Saturday, our ward went to the temple, which was a tremendous boost. Absolutely substantial! But on Sunday, doubts began to creep back into my mind, veeeery slowly. However, after church, out of the blue, one of the young women in my ward handed me a page-long note she'd written to me. She told me that she had felt inspired to write it for me, and that she hoped the words she wrote were the ones I needed to hear. It was beautiful. This young woman had, indeed, written exactly what I needed to read.
Then, last night and this afternoon, a really great young man from my stake was texting me. He simply told me that he thinks I am beautiful and told me that other young men in the stake think so as well, but that they're too shy to tell me. I hadn't asked him for compliments, nor was he trying to flirt with me. He was just being honest, but his words made a huge impact on me!  
Young men and young women alike- take note! Your words and actions have a TREMENDOUS effect on those around you! It's hard to understand what a wonderful ripple effect one can have on one another until you have been on the receiving end of such kind actions. It's truly beautiful. And the best part is, anyone can be that one- the one who makes a difference in someone's day, week, or life. You can. You really can! I challenge you to make a goal each day to do something, even something simple, to brighten someone's life. If each of us does one more good deed each day, what could we accomplish? How many lives would be blessed?
This is your call to action! What will you do with it?

Why is Life Hard?

In the past few months the question has come to my mind, "Why does the Lord make it hard for us to do the things He wants us to do?". During these months I have struggled with some injuries which make it impossible to play viola. I know that being a violist is one of my purposes in life. It will be my career and part of my future. I know that this is not only my will for me, but God's will for me. Why then, would I have injuries that make it impossible to practice? That's the only way I'll get to where I need to be! And as a matter of fact, this is the second injury I've had in the past three years which has forced me to stop playing for months at a time. Last week I found the answer to my unanswered query.
I actually knew the answer before I "understood the answer". I knew that the Lord gives us trials to increase our faith. We have hardships so that we have the added opportunity to call upon the Lord, and trust in Him and His timing. But it seemed impossible in my mind that I could progress in my musicianship without practicing. I already had a lot of faith. My predicament just didn't make sense.
At EFY we watched a video presentation where there were some apostles and prophets speaking over some clips of the bible videos (the ones that depict Christ's life). I was watching a clip of Mary, nine months pregnant, sitting on a donkey in the afternoon heat of a crowded, smelly street in Bethlehem. Being the mother of the Savior was one of her callings in life. Because of that, Heavenly Father could have made it so that she was in a comfortable, air-conditioned room with the best medical equipment around. But He didn't. He let her endure that tribulation so that she could learn of her capabilities and strength, acquire humility, and learn to further rely upon the Lord. Just like Mary, my affliction doesn't make sense. But in actuality, it does. My trials allow me to practice faith and gain humility. I am learning to put even more trust in the Lord. I have seen myself have more faith in His timing. It's truly beautiful.
I'm so grateful for the trials I have. I really am. Looking back on my past, the hardest times are the ones when I've been closest to the Lord, and they're the points in my life which I treasure the most. I'm so grateful that Father loves us enough to test us, and that He is always there during the rough and smooth patches alike.

"...nine months pregnant, sitting on a donkey in the afternoon heat of a crowded, smelly street in Bethlehem."

The Integrity Effect

Integrity is a big word. What does it mean? Dictionary.com defines it as:

1.      adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

2.      the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.

3.      a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship's hull.

 To me, integrity means doing the right thing at the right time, even if no one is watching.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, it is important for us to show integrity. We want those around us to know that we do what's right and that we follow the Savior. Showing integrity is one way you can  "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). 

It is not always easy or popular to have integrity. Often that means going against what peers may influence you to do, and demonstrating integrity may not seem like the best choice at the time, but it is. And it's worth it. Let me show you why. 

As I was studying integrity, I read many accounts from the scriptures, particularly the Bible, of heroes who had shown integrity. Some of these included Joseph (the one who ran from Potipher's wife), Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego (who were thrown into the furnace), and Esther (who saved her people, the Jews, from being slain). I noticed a pattern in each of their stories, which I would like to call the Integrity Effect. It goes like this:

Don't you want to be blessed with more than you ever had to begin with? Insert almost any story from the scriptures, and it will fit in the Integrity Effect. But not only will scripture stories fit into the Integrity Effect, your life fits in the Integrity Effect.

I know that I have been blessed when I show integrity. It brings me close to the Lord, and I feel true happiness.

 

EFY, Ladies and Gentlemen

Hey guys, guess what? EFY was amazing, as usual!! It was SO amazing that when I got home yesterday, I took a six-hour nap. I was that exhausted!
Of course, at EFY, my favorite parts are the devotionals, dances, and awesome people that I meet. But really, the best aspect of EFY is the incredible Spirit which always envelops us. It is that Spirit which teaches us and helps our testimonies to grow. There were several people who got up to bear their testimonies at our testimony meeting on Thursday who explained that they didn't really know the church was true until they came that week and felt the Spirit bearing witness of the truth to them. Many others, myself included, watched their already-present testimonies increase right before their eyes.
Before EFY I had a very solid testimony of Christ and His atonement. But now my understanding Jesus' love and my love for him have grown so much. It's beautiful. It was so wonderful to feel the Holy Ghost teach all of us. I learned how I can apply the atonement to my life to fix and heal any problem or trial.
The people who surrounded me at EFY were such great examples of righteous living. They all came because they wanted to come closer to Christ and learn more of Him. I was particularly impressed by the young men I was with last week. They were wonderful examples of the kinds of guys I should date when I'm able to. They were thoughtful, respectful, chivalrous, and had awesome testimonies of the gospel. Plus, they were so much fun to be around, and super cute! At our company's testimony meeting, there were a few girls who cried, but mostly they quietly felt the peace of the Spirit in the room. The boys, on the contrary, were all crying so hard. Their eyes were wet the whole time, and they were all sniffling a lot. I thought it was the most awesome thing ever to see the guys be so visibly touched by the Spirit. It was adorable, and I loved it.
I'm so grateful for the opportunity I had to go to EFY. It's truly the best week of my year, every year. If you ever get the opportunity to go, seize it, and cherish every minute. Milk it for all that it's worth, and let me tell you, it's worth a lot.

Our company! I love every one of them!

Besties with one of our awesome counselors!

We love Mormon Boys.

These are some amazing young men.

The Power of a Righteous Friend

Friends are awesome. I am blessed to have the best friends in the whole entire universe. (Though I'm sure all of you are pretty fantastic, yourselves.) My friends stick up for me, help me when I'm down, make me feel loved, and I always have a great time with them.
A few weeks ago I had an experience which really helped me realize the value of true, righteous friends. I was getting ready to go to a long rehearsal where there would be tons of people, it'd be really hot, and we were going to do a lot of standing around, waiting. I'd never truly been tempted to dress immodestly before, but all of a sudden I really wanted to wear a pair of immodest shorts. They were comfy, cool, and would just be so easy to wear. I began rationalizing all the reasons why I should wear them, but deep down I knew it was wrong.  Then, at thought came to me. Trevor* is going to be there tonight. I don't want to dress that way in front of Trevor. He would be so disappointed, and uncomfortable. Trevor, is one of my best friends in the world and one of the coolest young men I know. He is the standard of righteous living. Always going above what is asked of him, Trevor is one of everyone's favorite people- member and nonmember alike. With that in mind, I put on some modest shorts and went my way.
It was so amazing to me that Trevor was so righteous that he could influence me for good without even being with me at that moment. I am truly blessed to have him in my life. He is an amazing friend.
So my question is: Do you have friends like Trevor? Do your friends influence you for good? Of course not everyone you surround yourself with will be like him. You will have acquaintances and other friends who are in different places of their spiritual development.  Are you, like Trevor, influencing your friends for good? If not, what can you do to change?

"True friends influence those with whom they associate to “rise a little higher [and] be a little better.” You can help one another, particularly young men, prepare for and serve honorable missions. You can help one another remain morally clean. Your righteous influence and friendship can have an eternal effect not only on the lives of your associates but also on generations to come."
-Elaine S. Dalton, 2013

 

*Name has been changed

Blessings From Promptings Part One

Wow! It's been a REALLY long time since I've posted! I'm sorry. Life has gotten in the way. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about my blog, or all of you lovely readers. I have several posts I want to do really soon, but I can't write them all now, so one must suffice for the time being.

So, I've had some really cool experiences lately regarding the blessings I've received from following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. And, I want to tell you about two of these times.

If you rewind my life to the second day back from Christmas break, that is where my story begins. I was at lunch. Most of my closest friends and I were sitting at our usual table. We were blessed enough to be with mostly the same people and found the same table as we'd had the semester before. I was having a great time talking with my friends about the new semester. Looking up, I saw *Josh meandering around the cafeteria. He didn't seem to have a place to sit. Josh is an awkward kid. He's really smart, but he doesn't have many friends. He wandered around the room for a long time. It seemed to me as though we were in a classic New-Era-story-situation; he, wandering around, and I in a position to help. I knew I should offer him a seat at our table, but it astonished me how much I didn't want to offer him a seat. I felt promptings pecking at my heart, but I rationalized reasons why I didn't need to help Josh, and pushed the promptings away. I did that all lunch period, and I'm quite ashamed to say that I never invited him to sit with us that day.
Now you are wondering why this story is at all inspiring. Just be patient. You'll see.
Later that day I was reflecting on the occurrence. I knew what I had done was wrong. I prayed that my Father would help me feel sorry for what I did and help me feel the error I made. After more pondering, I remembered something one of my young women's leaders said:

"My brother was one of the kids that no one talked to. He was awkward and couldn't connect with people. One day I was driving past his elementary school and I saw all of the kids playing at recess. He was in the outermost corner of the playground by himself. I remember praying everyday after that day that someone would just talk to him. Never forget that every awkward kid you know is someone's brother and that they are probably praying that someone will talk to their brother that day."

I immediately felt the wrong I had done. I prayed to my merciful Father in Heaven and told Him that if He would give me another chance, I wouldn't mess it up. I told Him I was sorry, and that I truly knew that every kid is His son or daughter. I prayed and prayed that I would get another chance to help someone like that. And another chance I got.

In fact, the chance came the next day. At lunch. I was sitting at the same table, with the same friends. And who did I see wandering around the lunch room? Josh. I knew exactly what I had to do, that time. I knew I couldn't let the Lord down again. After all, I specifically asked Him for this opportunity. So, I told my friends that I was inviting Josh to sit with us. They agreed. I got up and ran over to him. When I extended the invitation to sit with us, such a smile of relief and happiness filled his face. It was beautiful. He came  and sat down with us. I introduced him to everyone at the table. In that instant, I knew for sure that I had done the right thing and that my Father was proud of me.

This is only half of the story, but if I write anymore in this post, it will get really lengthy. So, stay tuned for part two.

Stories from School

Hey! Well, I started school again on Wednesday. And, it was nowhere near as scary as I thought it would be! It was actually fun! I met lots of new people, and I didn't even get lost once, which for me is pretty amazing! I know that the Lord blessed me so that things went smoothly for me. Starting this school also allowed me to have some pretty amazing experiences, and I want to share some of them with you.

The first day went pretty well. But, by the time lunch rolled around, I couldn't find anyone I knew to sit with. So, I started to worry. But then I found a girl I sort of knew, and she let me sit with her. After that, some of her friends, whom I didn't know, sat at the table as well. we were introduced, and they seemed nice enough. But soon they started swearing and talking about things I didn't want to hear. I just looked away and never laughed or responded when they talked of those things. After a while of that, my acquaintance looked over at me when they were talking and said, "This makes you uncomfortable, doesn't it." I was surprised, so I responded saying, "Well, yeah it does." She said, "I could kind of tell." Then I asked, "How did you know that I don't speak like that? We haven't really known each other that long." She said, "I don't know. You just don't seem like that kind of person." This really touched me. It made me realize that other people truly do see my example, even if they don't say so all the time. 

At the end of the second day of school, I got on the bus to go home. However, all of the seats that I would have wanted were full. So, I sat in the only empty seat, which was near the back of the bus, and the seats which surrounded it were filled with who were a lot bigger and older than me, and who I knew were really mean. Needless to say, I was kinda scared of them. I was afraid that they would try to do something to me, and all of the awful things that they were capable of doing rushed through my mind. I thought for sure that the bus ride home would be miserable. So then, I decided to say a prayer to comfort and protect me. Before I could even finish saying my prayer, this scripture came to my mind:

"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

- Doctrine and Covenants 84:88

I realized that God would send His angels to protect me should I need protecting. In fact, I thought, there could have been an angel sitting next to me on that bus, and I didn't know. After Heavenly Father told me that through the Holy Ghost, I felt calm. I was able to listen to my ipod for the rest of the bus ride in peace. Those boys ended up ignoring me the whole ride home, which is just how I wanted it. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father protects us and that He answers our prayers.

These have been some powerful lessons for me. They seemed like small occurrences at the time, but after looking back, I realized that Heavenly Father blesses me in many small, almost imperceptible ways every day! It's incredible! Now I've been able to find those small blessings everywhere, which in itself is a blessing! I'm so grateful for my loving Father in Heaven. And I'm so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ who makes every day worth living. 

 

No Longer Afraid

Hey guys! I'm really excited to officially open the YouTube channel for The Life of a Mormon Teen soon!  Be watching!
So, this school year, I am going to a new school. And I am really scared. I've been scared about this for a long time, but no matter how unprepared I feel, school is going to start. Next week.  So, I've been thinking about this, pondering the situation, mulling it over, playing billions of possible future scenarios in my head, and no matter what, I'm still scared. And, as I've been scared, in the back of my mind I've kept thinking "fear and faith cannot dwell together". I know I need to have faith, but at the same time I just want to wallow in my fear.
But I have made a decision. No longer will I give in to the fear that's plaguing me. Those feelings come from Satan, and I don't want him to rule my life. The adversary knows that I'm no good to the world when I live in fear, so he bombards me with it. But I am going to prove to myself and to the Lord that I am stronger than Satan. I will not be afraid, even though there are so many things for me to be afraid about. I desire to make a difference in this world, so I will.
I really like these words from Elder Neil L. Anderson:

 "Fear and faith cannot coexist in our hearts at the same time. In our days of difficulty, we choose the road of faith. Jesus said, “Be not afraid, only believe.” 

^{-Neil L. Anderson, 2008}

I will have faith in Jesus that He will help me through this transition, and throughout the rest of my schooling and life. He knows and loves me, and He will take care of me. The Lord promises us in Doctrine and Covenants 88:84:

"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

-Doctrine and Covenants 84:88

I really love the Lord's promise that He will send angels to help us when we need help. I know this to be true. I have literally felt angels around me in my darkest times. I am so grateful for my wonderful Savior. And I am grateful that I don't need to fear. I love my Savior.

 

An Inspiration For Teens: Jenny Phillips

So, here is the long-awaited interview with Jenny Phillips! For any of you who do not know, Jenny is a Mormon singer/ songwriter who sings music primarily for teens. Her music is amazingly inspirational. It makes you want to become a better person. " [Jenny is] one of the  highest-selling LDS music artists of all time." ( from Jenny's Bio on her website).

I really love her music because it really lifts me up when I am having hard times, and inspires me to become more like the Savior.

So without further ado, here's how Jenny answered the questions I asked:

Q. In high school, what did you think you wanted to be when you grew up? Why? Did you ever change your mind?

A. I always wanted to be a mom. I also wanted to be a singer. But it didn't stop there. I also wanted to be a fiction writer a non-fiction writer, a film maker, a documentary movie maker, and at one point a professional gymnast.

Q. What inspired you to become a singer?

A. My mom gave me some inspirational music when I was 6 years old. I could feel the power in the music so strongly at that age, and I wanted to create that same feeling by singing and writing.

Q. Why do you sing the kind of music that you sing?

A. I write and sing religious/inspirational music because that is what comes out of me when I sit at the piano to write! It is what is in my heart. It is also my way of trying to strengthen others and share my testimony.

Q. Where do you get the inspiration for your songs?

A. Every song is different. Usually it is from something that I read or hear that really strikes me; something that I feel strongly about wanting to share; or a principle that I have been learning about in my own life.

Q. What do you wish that you knew as a teenager that you know now?

A. I mainly wish that I knew that friends and popularity in high school are so temporary.

Q. If you could go back and live your teenage life again, what would you do different, if anything?

A. If I could go back and live my life as a teen again, I think I would be more grateful. to my parents and my family especially. I would spend more time with them, listen to them, and serve them more.

Q. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

A. I consider my music more of a mission than a job. The most rewarding aspect is having the opportunity to help inspire others to be better and happier.

Q. Has being an inspirational singer given you opportunities you thought you'd never get?

A. Definitely. I'm amazed at the doors the Lord has opened for me. I don't feel more talented than other singer/songwriters, and I know that it is the Lord who has blessed me with these opportunities.

Q. Has singing motivational songs about the gospel given you more opportunities to be a member missionary?

A. I have loved the opportunity to do missionary work through my music for both members of others faiths and less active members of my own faith. I feel such gratitude for the blessings the gospel has given me, and I want to share that with others.

Q. As a teen, who was your biggest role model?

A. My biggest role model as a teen was my Grandpa Holbrook. He was an amazing man who cared very much about my life. He always made me feel like a million dollars! And he never missed a chance to remind me of who I was and what was important in life. 

 Q. What do you wish that you knew as a teenager that you know now?

A. I mainly wish that I knew that friends and popularity in high school are so temporary.

Q. If you could go back and live your teenage life again, what would you do different, if anything?

A. If I could go back and live my life as a teen again, I think I would be more grateful. to my parents and my family especially. I would spend more time with them, listen to them, and serve them more.

Q. Why did you choose to write music primarily for teens?

A. The teen years are so important, but they are also so confusing and emotional. Teens are deciding and defining who they will be and what their testimonies will be like. So many critical decisions are made during our teenager years. I want to especially reach out to that age group and give them comfort and strength during that critical part of their journey.

Q.  What are some goals which you set as a teen that you have already accomplished?

A. Be worthy to enter the temple. Record and release a CD. Travel the world bearing my testimony. Be a stay at home mom. Get a college degree.

Q. If you were to be in another career field, what would it be?

A. Film.I believe film is incredibly impactful. You take the power of music, and can add the power of images to it! I actually started out in college as a film major, but soon became disappointed with what the film world was like (so much filth and evil), and I switched my major. I would love to make movies that inspire and strengthen--that are beautiful, entertaining, and completely compatible with the spirit. But this is a dream that I am not going to go after anytime soon because I have an even greater dream of being an awesome mom, and I can't do both right now. So being mom wins!!

Q. If you could fly an airplane and write something in the sky, what would it say?

A. Ha, ha. I love questions like this. I would first of all pass out in fear of flying an airplane. But when I came to, I think I would write "Live like you believe."

Q. If you could have dinner with one person from the scriptures, who would you dine with?

A. Wow! I would obviously choose Christ. But if that weren't an option, these would be my top picks: Joseph of Egypt, Ammon, Joseph Smith, Nephi. Man this question made me excited and makes me realize how much I love these disciples that have impacted my life.

Q. What is your favorite color, and why?

A. White. I love the clean and pure feeling of white. I also love clouds which are white. Green and blue are second favorites because I love rolling green hills and blue skies.

Q.What is your favorite food?

A. Watermelon. 

Q. If you could make a masterpiece that would be displayed in the finest art galleries in the world, what would your work of art depict?

A. I have no skills in that area, so this is fun to imagine. I would depict a mother with a child or a baby that showed such a powerful sense of love that women would be reminded of what a blessing children are.

The songs Jenny has written have truly blessed my life. I'm glad that she is able to share her testimony with the world! What a great example she is to us teens!

Happiness, a Beacon

How do you know if someone is happy? They are smiling, maybe. Or laughing.  How do you know when you are happy? Do you feel good about yourself? Do you do well in school? Do you sleep better? Probably. Are you happy right now? If so, just stop for a moment, right now, and feel what it feels like. If you're not happy right now, try to vivdly imagine the last time you felt happy, and what it felt like.

Chances are, you have a smile on your face. :)  Now. Are you happy as often as you would like to be? If I lived in a perfect world, I would want to be happy all the time. Of course, in this mortal state, that's impossible. But, it is possible to be happy often, even most of the time!

So, how then, do you accomplish this? How can you become happy more often?

Lots of people think that happiness is just something that comes or goes because of  external situations. This is WRONG!  Those people that you know who seem like they are always happy are happy because they choose to be happy. Happiness is smost definitely a choice.The people I know who are happy all the time are happy even when they have a possibly life threatening illness, financial hardship, pressure at school, and more. 

One of my best friends is probably one of my biggest role  models.  She has gone through so many trials, including a life threatening illness. But, every I see her, she is always happy. I've talked to her about this, and she told me that she couldn't have been happy if she didn't actively try to be happy everyday. It takes effort to be happy. But that effort is so worth it!

Another friend of mine has depression. But she is a very happy and hopeful person. People often tell her that she is one of the happiest people they know. And everytime someone asks her how she can be happy even though she suffers from depression, she tells them that having depression has helped develop her into a happy person. She has felt the awfulness of depression and actively chooses to be happy because of how horrible it feels to be depressed.

And, we can always be happy as we think about the Savior.  He loves us. I know he does. And we are so precious to Him that He gave His life for each of us. This can give us confidence and happiness. Whenever we start to feel sad, we can think about Christ.  Also, you can always pray for the strength to choose to be happy. I know that He will give you that strength.

So. How can you be happy? You have to choose to be happy. And let me tell you, its not always, and sometimes not usually easy. And it takes practice.  Honestly.  But I know that each time you choose to be happy, the next time will be easier. And when you are happy, you shine like a light.  Others will flock to you, and you can influence them to be happy too.