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.

Learn to Love it

Life is hard. Very hard. Good thing we have a loving Heavenly Father always watching over us! I've felt Him especially watching over me lately.

I had a really rough time last night. You know, the ones where you cry really hard, use up way too much kleenex, and end up with a headache. Not fun. I was upset about typical teenage problems. Friends, how my peers view me, school, etc.  (The joys of being a teen, right?) I prayed about it and talked to my parents about it. Then I got a blessing of comfort from my dad. But in the back of my mind the whole time I had the feeling that I needed to read the Book of Mormon. I hadn't had my daily scripture study yet. Usually I read the scriptures on my ipod (since my scriptures are at seminary), but I don't really like to read them from my ipod because they're difficult to mark that way. I decided I really wanted to dive into the scriptures. So after my blessing, I ran and grabbed a new Book of Mormon off the shelf and a dozen colored pens and highlighters. I read three chapters, and just went to town highlighting and underlining meaningful phrases and verses, and writing in the margins. I decided that this would be my copy of the Book of Mormon for seriously marking up. The chapters I read yesterday were the most meaningful I've read in a long time. Not only did I get more out of them because I was actively studying, but Heavenly Father knew exactly what I needed to read to help me feel better and led me to those chapters.
After reading those amazing chapters, and truly feeling Heavenly Father speak to me through the scriptures, I felt so much better. Love, peace, and a feeling of home surrounded me. God answered my prayers through the scriptures. The concerns and questions I had were answered in the verses I read. How wonderful it is when that happens.
And it can happen everyday when we make our scripture study active. I'm guilty of passive scripture study sometimes. Life is busy, but we can't let that get in the way of our conduit of power, for that's what the scriptures are.
Instead of viewing scripture study as long, or boring, we can learn to love it. Learn to love the Book of Mormon. Learn to love it. Begin to look forward to your scripture study. Read with clear questions to be answered in mind. Learn to love it. The scriptures, and the Book of Mormon, will bring so many blessings into our lives. The more we invest in them, the more we'll get out of them. They are our truest source of power.

Because I Kept a Scripture Journal

Today something really cool happened to me at church. I got to Sunday School with my friends and we were waiting around for our teacher to come. We technically don't have a teacher right now because our previous one was just released, so we were waiting for the sub. But a while passed and no one came. My friends asked me if I would teach the lesson. I agreed, even though I hadn't prepared anything. So, I pulled out my scripture journal. Inside of it, I take notes when people give talks, at firesides, during lessons, general conference, etc. I opened to a random page, skimmed it, and was able to teach from the notes I had taken on a talk given in sacrament meeting five months ago. There were scripture references, analogies, and impressions I had felt. I used my own thoughts, impressions, and knowledge as well to give the lesson fluidity. We referenced the scriptures several times and drew upon at least three stories from the scriptures. Our teacher finally came in with only twenty minutes left of the class and let me continue teaching.
This was a very cool moment for me. I felt the Spirit confirming that Heavenly Father was proud of me. And I'm proud of me, too. I'm happy that I was able to take notes and that I could teach by using the promptings of the Holy ghost. I felt the Spirit in my lesson. It was so special because I knew the things to say and teach, even though I had only a list of bullet points in front of me. I truly know that Lord is mindful of us and loves us dearly. He wants to bless us and He wants us to be happy.

This is a slightly goofy picture of me with my study journals. The middle two are completely full. The journal on the left is halfway full, but I got bored of using it. Haha. And the notebook on the far right is my current notebook.

Seriously though, study notebooks are the coolest things ever. You can record impressions you receive during scripture study, info from talks, etc.

Here's a typical page in mine. I use different arrows and indentations and bullet points to keep things organized. And, notes don't have to be perfect.

You can even glue in handouts from class.

Here's a page in a past study journal where I really wanted to learn a lot about faith. So I printed out some information about faith from True to the Faith and glued it in. Then, I methodically went through and looked up every scripture reference and even some of the footnote scriptures of those scriptures. I recorded other scriptures I found and impressions I received.

I ran out of room on that page, so I glued in a piece of paper to fold down. The writing is on the other side.

 If you don't already have a study notebook, you should consider keeping one. You can use it however you want. You don't have to keep yours like mine. Everyone is different. But I am always so grateful that I record this information and the sacred impressions I receive from the Holy Ghost while studying. And I know that the Lord blesses us with more spiritual experiences if we show Him we treasure the ones he gives us by writing them down.

If you want ideas for starting a scripture journal or have any questions, let me know!

Some Random Thoughts and Stories...

Good Friday to you all. Someone posted the words which are on the picture below as a facebook status, and I thought they were so great that I had to make a meme. I hope you like it!

This week has been pretty awesome. Our high school is putting on the show "Guys and Dolls". I went and saw it yesterday. It was phenomenal!  I had lots of friends who were in it, so it was tons of fun.

These next two weeks are fall break for me. I may or may not write any posts. But, I'm super excited for the much needed break!

Ohh, guess what? I gave away a Book of Mormon today. I think this will make either the second or third one this school year. I gave it to a friend in orchestra who always teases me about being Mormon. When I gave it to him, he looked through the index and said "Where does it say you can't drink coffee? Why do you have a dictionary in your book?" He was teasing me, but I also gave him a mini copy of the For Strength of Youth. Even if he doesn't read these anytime soon, he may eventually read them.

Here is the link to his extremely awesome conference talk from last week!

Hope everyone has a stupendous weekend full of donuts, sleeping, and watching Phineas and Ferb. Wouldn't that be a wonderful weekend? :D Anyway, even if your weekend isn't like that, I hope it's wonderful!

Two Testimonies of the Book of Mormon

Hey everybody!  How's it going? I just got back from Girl's Camp, so I'm super tired, but I really want to share this video that one of our leaders showed us. 

    

       How one man gained his testimony of the Book of Mormon.

I just want to let you know that I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon. When I was twelve, I decided that I really wanted to know for myself if the Book of Mormon was true or not. I knew that my parents and teachers believed, but I was ready to know for myself. So, I read. And I prayed. I did that for a long time. But nothing came. I kept reading, and praying. Still, nothing came. I started to get discouraged, but still, I read and prayed. At that point, I didn't actually read the whole thing, the thought of doing so daunted me. Looking back, I realize that I was expecting to feel a burst of emotion, a fire in my bosom, and warm tears running down my face to know that the Book of Mormon was true, but that never happened. My testimony came slowly. I would read some, and I would feel peace. The next day I would read and pray some more. I would feel at home. The day after, I would read and pray again. I would forget my cares. After a while, I realized that all of these seemingly small feelings added up. I knew that the Book of Mormon was true. I didn't see a pillar of light, but the Holy Ghost did whisper the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon into my heart.

Fast forward a year. I had just finished reading the Book of Mormon, cover-to-cover, for the first time. I had just reached Moroni's Promise, in Moroni 10. I decided that since I had just read the Book of Mormon all the way through, I would pray to see if it was true. The previous experience I just told you about came to the back of my mind, but I paid no heed and went ahead and prayed to know if the Book of Mormon was true. Here's an excerpt from my journal of this experience:

"I just finished the Book of Mormon for the first time. I feel accomplished. I feel  the Spirit.  It is whispering peace to me, but really I just feel at home. I feel comfortable and at home. When I got to Moroni's Promise, I decided to pray about the Book of Mormon again, even though I'd done that before. And, [when I did] I didn't feel anything. I was afraid I'd done something wrong. So I kept reading. Then the words, "I already know" came to my mind. the Spirit was confirming my knowledge reminding me that I already knew. those words were accompanied by a very quiet sense of relief and truth. Then, exactly as I finished the last word of the Book of Mormon, I fel a gentle surge of confirmation. I felt at peace, happy, joyful, and at home. I know Heavenly Father is pleased with me." 

I am so very very grateful for the Book of Mormon in my life. As I have continued to study it, the precious confirmation of it's truthfulness keeps coming back. I love the wonderful knowledge and promises which are contained in it's pages. I know that it confirms the truths that are in the Bible. I feel so blessed to be able to read out of this holy book.

 

Arise and Shine Forth: EFY 2012!!

Hey guys! I know I haven't blogged in a while, but I have something exciting to tell you. I just came back from the BEST week of my life! Yep! The best week EVER!!! I went to EFY last week, and it was incredible!

EFY is a one week camp sponsored by BYU for LDS teens which helps them learn more about the gospel, themselves, and helps them make AMAZING friends!!!! I had such a marvelous time.

At EFY I learned how to better make use of my scripture study. I also became much closer to my Savior, my heavenly Father, and the Holy Ghost. I was able to strengthen my faith in so many things like prayer, the Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father, the scriptures, love, and myself.

I also gained soooo many new friends. Over the week, we became extremely close. I now have about forty new best friends! It's great! I will never lose touch with them, for they mean too much to me.

My testimony has grown so incredibly much! EFY has changed my life forever! I am so so so grateful for the opportunity to go to EFY. I know Heavenly Father helped me get there. I know that I am so blessed to be able to have gone.

Here are some pictures from the week!

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!

Arise and Shine Forth: Your Light Can Illuminate The World

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted! Sorry about that! Usually I post every week....... Anyway.  As you all probably know, a new year means a new mutual theme! Here it is in Doctrine and Covenants 115:5:

“Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations” -Doctrine and Covenants 115:5

Short and sweet, this scripture has A LOT of meaning in it for us!
What is light? There are many instances in the scriptures where light is referenced. The brother of Jared recieved light in the stones he asked Jesus to touch, Joesph Smith saw a pillar of light, the ten virgins held old lamps, and it is said that Jesus's glory and brightness defies all description. (Joesph Smith History 1:17)
But one of my favorite descriptions of light is from the sermon on the mount. It is Matthew 5:14-16:

14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

 15. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

God created you, yes you to be a light. He literally wants you to be a light to all the world. And you really can! Your Father has given you specific gifts that enable and empower you to shine for the world!

I am in the middle of writing a song about being the light. I am going to call it "Be The Light". I got the inspiration for this song when we had a fireside. I honestly don't remember what the speaker was addressing us about, but he said a phrase once, only once, that struck me with great force: "Be The Light". This wasn't even his topic, but those three little words have inspired me. Like I said, I'm not finished with the song yet, but I feel like I should share the chorus:

"Would the Lord make a light if it wasn't there to shine

He made the sun in the sky

and just like the sun, He created you to shine

Shine o'er the world, Be The Light"

It's a simple song so far, but I can't wait to finish it!

I know that people at school watch us everyday. It's true. I see it. We have the responsibility and privilege to share our happiness. Your single light can illuminate thousands, even millions if you just allow your the radiance of your testimony to shine through your everyday actions.  

To learn more about our mutual theme this year, click here.

Hunger after Righteousness

What is the definition of righteousness? Ask yourself.  To me, righteousness means doing the right thing at the right time because you love and have faith in Jesus Christ.
In my Book of Mormon reading, I came across a verse that really made me think. 3 Nephi 12:16:

 6 And blessed are all they who do ^ahunger and ^bthirst after ^crighteousness, for they shall be ^dfilled with the Holy Ghost.

What a promise. To be filled with the Holy Ghost. Immediately after reading this, I asked myself, 'Do I hunger and thirst after righteousness?' Think about the last time you fasted, or were REALLY hungry. Could you ignore the urge to eat? What would happen if you did?  Just as ignoring the urge to eat eventually leads to sickness and death, ignoring our spiritual hunger leads to spiritual sickness and death.

Christ gave this promise when he appeared to the Nephites after His ressurection. He promises us that the Holy Ghost will fill us when we hunger and thirst after righteousness.

Being filled with the Holy Ghost is a powerful blessing that everyone should yearn for. When you have the Spirit as a constant companion, and heed his promptings, you can never be led astray. Having the Holy Ghostwith you is such an empowering feeling to have. You feel so confident, content, loved, and happy at the same time. If you have not felt this before, or want to feel the Holy Ghost more, you are promised by Christ that you will be filled with the Holy Ghost when you hunger and thirst after righteousness.

So. How do you hunger and thirst after righteousness?

If you are hungry, most likely you would enjoy attending a feast. 2 Nephi 32:3 says:

3 ^aAngels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, ^bfeast upon the ^cwords of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will ^dtell you all things what ye should do.

While you may have to wait until Thanksgiving for a feast for your stomach, you can feast upon the words of Christ any time you want by reading the scriptures. When you feast upon the scriptures, I know that your hunger will be satiated. I love the scriptures. I love feeling the Holy Ghost, and I love the comfort, peace, and confidence his presence brings. I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that He died for me. And I know that all may have life through him.

To learn more about the Book of Mormon, click here.

To learn more about the Holy Ghost, click here.

To learn more about the Savior, Jesus Christ, click here.

Reading The Scriptures

Recently I have started reading the scriptures everyday. In the past I read them once or twice a week. But now, i really understand the power that they bring into my life. When I read the scriptures, I get answers to prayers through the words that I read. This happens a lot when I read my scriptures.
I also feel the spirit. It's great to have the Spirit in my day. I read my scriptures on the bus before and after school. It is fantastic to be uplifted right before school. It gives me confidence and makes me feel my Savior's love for me.  It's especially hard at school when most of the people around talk and act in ways that are innappropriate and offensive. So, it's great to be able to think about the scriptures at school. Reading the scriptures before school also gives me the courage, confidence, and reason I need to stand up for myself and my beliefs at school.
I feel happier when I read the scriptures everyday. I just do. I guess it kinda goes along with having the Spirit with me. BUt when I'm always reading and thinking about the scriptures, it's easier to choose the right. And choosing the right makes me happy too.
When I read the scriptures, I learn a lot. Like, I'm learning tons more than I really thought that I would learn by reading the scriptures. I guess I just never really thought about how much knowledge is in the scriptures. But, if you think about it, the scriptures are truly the words of God. And He knows everything. Who can think of a better teacher?
I also feel closer to my Savior. And that, I think is the most important benefit of reading my scriptures. And, people can't know how this feels until they have read the scriptures, and prayed about them.
My testimony used to live on borrowed light. But one day I decided that I wanted to get my own testimony. So I prayed. And read the scriptures. And prayed. And payed attention to how I felt. And prayed some more. I did this for several months. It never did come as  big realization. One day, I just finally realized that I did believe in Jesus. I knew that He is my Redeemer. I knew that the Book of Mormon and Bible were true. I knew that my Father in Heaven and Jesus loved me. And the spirit softly testified of that.
Over time, I have repeatedly felt the Spirit testify again of all these things. And other aspects of this gospel. I especially feel this testament of the Spirit when I am in the temple.
I know all of these things and many more ot be true. And the Spirit confirms that every time that I read my scriptures.