Follow the Recipe For Eternal Life

 I really love using life stories to create gospel analogies. It makes me happy. So here's one from this past weekend.

Once upon a time (two days ago) I found a super great recipe for sugar cookies and wanted to try it out. But, I realized we didn't have enough butter to make the cookies and the frosting, so I determined to make do with shortening for the cookies and use the remaining butter to make the frosting.

The cookies promised to be spectacular. I was so excited to eat them, and my family was, too. We each sat down around the table with a warm cookie in hand and took the first bite... of disappointment. The frosting tasted great, but the cookies were super gross. It turned out that the shortening I used in the cookies was embarrassingly old. Because of this, all of the cookies were rendered inedible.

The analogy:

The perfect sugar cookie is eternal life- it's our greatest desire and our expectation for the future. In order to achieve that, we must follow Christ's true gospel. If we don't have His gospel, then we only have bits and pieces of truth. But these bits are sometimes downgraded substitutions for truth (aka the aged shortening). If we follow Christ and His commandments for us (follow the recipe exactly), then we are sure to gain all He has in store for us- eternal life with Him in the celestial kingdom (the perfect sugar cookies).

I know that we can have so much happiness when we follow our Savior, Jesus Christ, and strive to be like Him.

Here's the recipe I used for the cookies. Don't they look amazing? They're pretty easy, too. I can't wait to taste them when I actually follow the instructions!

School: More Awesome than You Realize...

My heart is so full right now! So very full of joy! I began school yesterday, and it's going marvelously. I love all the people. They make me so so so happy! And I'm really excited about my classes!
I have something very important to tell you all.
Learn to love school. Just do it*. We are celestial, glorious beings of light. Light is derived from intelligence. Pretty much the whole reason we're on earth is to learn! (Along with obtaining a body, being sealed to our family for time and eternity, etc...) What better opportunity to learn do we have than school? That's the reason we're there! And if you stop and think about it, it's SUCH a blessing that we can go to school! For most of us, it's free, public education.
In my patriarchal blessing it tells me to cherish my education, and that as long as I seize the educational and learning opportunities which come my way, that the knowledge I obtain will bring me joy, and that I'll be able to bless the lives of others with it. How cool is that? Not only does this apply to me, but to each person on earth. It most definitely applies to you.
The cool thing is that I have found this to be very true! I just love knowing things! Even if my knowledge isn't very deep, it's so great to understand why parts of the world work the way they do. For instance, whenever I wash my hands, I think of how the soap molecules bond to the water and dirt molecules, which is how it cleans my hands. I just find it amazing to know this, and how that science applies to me!
Also, school is an incredible way to develop yourself. I could write a book on how I grew as a person through school and the opportunities it brought just last year alone. In the two days I've been in school this year, I have already seen myself beginning to progress as I've had to adjust to new situations. I find it very fascinating. It makes me soooo happy to think about where I am now, and where I'll be at the end of this school year: socially, academically, musically, spiritually, personally, etc. It's all affected!
In addition, I want to stress the importance and awesomeness of goal-setting. Some people groan when that is mentioned. Goal-setting doesn't have to be difficult, boring, drawn-out, or confusing. Goal-setting can be simple. I half-subconsciously set a goal yesterday! Isn't that cool? In my math class I passively decided that I wanted to be more outgoing- ask more questions, and participate more. (Generally, since math is my worst subject, I was afraid of participating too much because I didn't want to look stupid. But I realized that by going out on a limb, I'll grow.)  When I realized the goal that my subconscious mind made, I solidified the goal. I made it reachable. I decided that I'd either ask a question, or answer a question at least once every day. It's simple. It's doable. And it will help me become a greater person.
Seriously, guys. Have fun in school! It's not worth as much if you don't strive to enjoy it! Your possibilities are truly endless. For real.

 * By the way, at youth conference, there was a guy who had a sweatshirt that said, "Just go and do it." with an angel Moroni in the act of running. It was so cool!

They Will Hear the Gospel

Lately I feel like the focus around me has been missionary work. My leaders and teachers have been stressing this very important part of gospel living a lot recently. And, my dad was just called as ward mission leader, so it's brought up often. The missionaries come over a lot and it's great.
Today in young women's, our class had a lesson about the restoration and my teacher focused on how we can talk to our friends about the restoration and making sure we knew why it was so important and how a solid knowledge of the restoration can affect missionary moments. Being a member missionary is a huge part of my life. I absolutely love sharing the gospel with my friends. It brings me so much joy and happiness and complete bliss- I want my friends to have that as well. But, sitting in class today, I began to be very frustrated. I felt so sad because people outside of the church don't really realize what they don't have. They don't understand the joy, comfort, and blessings they aren't receiving.  It fills my soul with complete despair that these people- my brothers and sisters- don't have this in their lives right now and that they don't know what they are missing.
But then, whenever I begin to feel this way, the Lord comforts me. He lets me know that He loves His children and will provide for them in His own time. I had one such experience recently:

Our seminary teacher challenged us to ask our friends if they had any questions for us about the church. We were to record their questions and bring them to seminary so that we could learn to better answer them. I asked one friend in particular if she could ask me some questions. This friend is one of the people I love most dearly. She very religious herself, and has shown interest in understanding our religion. She thinks deeply and always has lots of questions about life. After being asked she told me that she'd give me a list of questions the next day.
And questions she gave me! I was expecting a few one or two-sentence questions. Instead, each of her questions were at least half a (typed) page long. She had obviously done her research because she quoted LDS scriptures such as the Doctrine and Covenants, and other books which contain words of the prophets. Using her doctrines, she used logic to try to prove why our religion must be incorrect.
I read through the questions, and with each sentence I read I became more and more sad. The Spirit instantly left me and it seemed as though each word I read slapped me in the face. I was so saddened by her words.
Later that night, however, she texted me. She told me that she didn't mean to offend me and how much she loved me. She bore her testimony of the truth she knows by saying that she was just looking out for me because eternity is a long time and Jesus is coming soon. It was at that moment that the Spirit whispered to me that she will eventually hear and accept the gospel. I felt the warmth of the Holy Ghost confirm his words. It was beautiful to me that I could receive confirmation that a friend I love so dearly will be able to obtain the joy I so cherish.

And All His Creations of Which I'm a Part

Today in my biology class we were talking about the diversity of the creatures and species on the earth. My teacher told us that only 20-30% of all the types organisms that have ever existed on this earth are currently alive. Just think about that! There are more species in existence currently than scientists could even begin to discover. Now think of the other 70-80% of creatures that we've never even heard of because they're extinct! That's a lot of animals! And then there are tons of plants too! There is so much life and beauty on this earth! As my teacher kept talking, my mind marveled over the vastness of it all! And then I remembered that Heavenly Father made all of these beautiful things for our joy and happiness. He did it for us because we are worth so much to Him! God created these wonderful creatures,organisms, plants, natural phenomenons, rainbows, scenic valleys, majestic mountains, breathtaking jungles, and so much more because He loves us!
As I sat in class, the implications of all of Heavenly Father's masterpieces hit me. He has made worlds without end. If there is so much on our earth, there's that much more on each other world He has created. And we can inherit all of His wonderful gifts for us if we keep His commandments and keep our covenants.
The Spirit was with me so strongly as I pondered over all the works of the Lord's hands in my class. I almost started crying. I truly felt of God's love for me.
Here are some images for your viewing. If you so desire, you can ponder of God's wonderful, perfect, glorious goodness while you see pictures of some of the things His holy hands have made. (pictures courtesy of lds.org.)

Book of Mormon Challenge.

On Sunday my Young Womens Leaders challenged us to read half of the book of Mormon this month. The rest we will read together next month. But, anyway, I have taken to reading on the bus, because I have spare time then. I'll get back to this.
In U.S. History, we were briefly reviewing about the Native Americans, Spanish Conquistadors, and the colonization of the Americas. It was an interesting review, but I found myself wondering how much was really true, or not.
So, back to my scripture reading. Today on the bus I was reading in 1 Nephi, chapter 13. In this chapter. Nephi has a vision where he sees the future of his posterity. And in this vision, we read about the Native Americans ,who are Nephi and his family's posterity, the gentiles who cam from across the sea, the wars fought between them, and the wars between the gentiles who are separated across the sea (American Revolution). This was very interesting to read right after reviewing all of this information in school. It is amazing to me that the Lord could give Nephi a vision of the future.
I'm very grateful to my Heavenly Father who no doubt had a hand in this impeccable timing. :) His plans are just so perfect. :) I'm so grateful for the Book of Mormon. It uplifts me and strengthens my knowledge of eternal and temporal matters.

If you would like to read Nephi's account of America's Colonization click here.  You may want to back up a couple chapters if you would like to know more about his vision.

Quite Possibly My Favorite Video Ever

I love this video so much!!!  It makes me cry every time I watch it.  Even though it is so sad to lose someone, Heavenly Father has a plan.  The Plan of Salvation, or The Plan of Happiness.We know that we will see loved ones again in Heaven if we live righteously. And, we know that if we pray in faith, that Heavenly Father does answer our prayers. So we should be happy.  After all, it is called the Plan of  Happiness..

I know this to be true with all off my heart.  It is my desperate wish for others to come to know of the truthfulness of Heavenly Father's love for us too.

If you want more information about The Plan of Salvation click here.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.