two decades is a long time

Apparently you have to live for a while to learn a lot of things... and then you still have to learn a whole lot more - even if you don't really want to.

Yesterday was my twentieth birthday - it feels really weird saying and writing it... but I couldn't be more excited for this next year and all that will come my way. I've truly been blessed with many amazing friends and family - all that have helped make my life simply wonderful.

The past two decades have been rough and frustrating, but they've also been really great. I decided to blog about twenty things I've learned in the past twenty years....

1. You have time. AKA: Patience. Just because I've learned that this is important... doesn't mean I'm any good at it. This will probably be a life - long struggle for me. Seriously, though. Ask anybody that knows me - I'm probably the most impatient person you'll ever meet. However, I've come to find that there are things in life I'm just going to have to wait for - and if I decide to have a negative/bad attitude while doing so... I'm going to hate life. Also - if you pray for patience... the Lord is going to give you trials that require you to exercise patience. This could be bad of me to say - but because of that, I don't pray for patience....

2. Ask for and accept help. I'm stubborn. I want to do what I want to do and when I want to do it. I've never been good at accepting or even asking for help. But I've realized that I can't do everything on my own - the Lord has given me parents, friends and leaders to help me through some of life's toughest moments. Besides... life is so much easier when you accept help - your parents let you eat from their fridge when you're sick of ramen and scrambled eggs and you never have to pay for toilet paper (I'm not sure if they know I steal that....)

3. The Lord's plan is not your plan. ---This is the theme of my LIFE! "If you want to make the Lord laugh, tell Him what your plans are." I'm sure the Lord has gotten a few good laughs from me. I've learned that I'm not my happiest when I'm doing what I think I want to or should do - but when I follow a good prompting and do what I know the Lord wants me to do... I'm my happiest.

4. Eat what you want! I was on a date with a boy a few months ago and was looking at the menu, trying to decide what to order. I thought, "I could order a salad and look all healthy," but then my eyes wandered over to the steak and I thought, "or I could buy this freaking delicious steak and enjoy it!!" While I was eating my small piece of heaven on earth (yes, I got the steak. DUH!), the boy looked at me and said, "Life is too short, eat what you waaaant!" I smiled, nodded and continued eating. Now. I would like to say... that eating healthy and exercising is important... and I should DEFINITELY be better in that area. But life is too short. If you have a piece of Zupa's seven layer chocolate cake in front of you... eat the dang cake and run an extra lap at the gym tomorrow.

5. Give your little brother lots of hugs & kisses. I have one brother. And I love his guts. I've always been jealous of the girls that have older brothers. They're teased mercilessly, but they've also got a best friend that will stick up for them and beat the boys up when they're being stupid (which is a lot of the time;)). Clearly, I don't have an older brother here to tease me... so I've graciously accepted the role as 'teaser'. While I will admit the teasing has caused a lot of unhappy faces from my brother, it's brought a lot of laughs and good memories to our brother/sister relationship. Someday he'll know I do it because I love him - and maybe one day he'll even give me hugs and kisses on the cheek without squealing!

6. Don't give away your kisses like candy. I remember making a HUUUUGE deal out of my first kiss. I wanted it to be special and magical! I imagined meeting a cute boy and falling deeply in love with him before he pulled me in close for a good, foot poppin' smooch (just like Princess Diaries)! It did NOT happen like that.... at all. And once it was over I realized that all the fuss about a first kiss was really nothing to fuss about at all. After that I gave my kisses away too freely and easily. Growing up I had told myself that holding a boys hand and kissing was something special because it meant that I really liked him. Society today tells us otherwise. We cuddle because it's fun. We hold hands because we can. We kiss because, heck, why not?! My advice? Save em'. Save those kisses!! Make the boys earn them... make them wait. Make them mean more. Make them special.

7. Friends (and fries) are way better than guys. I dated a boy a while back and spent ALL my free time with him. Literally. All of it. After the one month of dating bliss and happiness ended, I realized I hadn't spent enough time with my girls - the friends that have been there WAY longer than any boy. Luckily for me, I was blessed with some pretty fantastic (and loyal) friends. They put up with me while I was crazy over a boy and then stuck by my side and even offered to help me bury him after we broke up. This.... this is what true friendship looks like ;). Advice? Boys are great. I love boys. I enjoy dating and spending time with them. But please... you have some pretty great best GIRLfriends that would do anything for you. Don't ditch them once you have a boy in your life. Make time for your friends; have a girls night, paint your nails, watch that chick flick that makes you cry while you eat your tub of Boom Chocolatta Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Boys come and go... but your girls have been here for a while. Trust me, you want to keep them around.

8. You do not need a boy to make you happy when you have bdubs (Buffalo Wild Wings). Amen. I told my parents I wanted to go to bdubs for my birthday dinner and my mom said, "You go there enough already! It isn't even special!!" Needless to say, we didn't go... but you'll probably find me there one night this week. I realize this one is similar to #7, but I wanted to dedicate this specifically to the true love of my life - Buffalo Wild Wings. No, this is not a boy, but it gives me Parmesan Garlic wings and seriously... what else could I ever want?! While I was in high school (and even once I graduated) I was always jealous of the girls that dated and had boyfriends. They walk around, laughing and smiling, hand in hand with their "other half". For some strange, absurd reason I thought that I had to have a boyfriend to be "truly happy". Obviously I hadn't met bdubs yet ;). No, but seriously... you do NOT need a boy to make you happy - this is such a lie. Like I said in #7; boys come and go. If you base your happiness solely on a guy... well... best of luck to you. Advice? Find things you love and go do them. Or... go eat there ;). The guy can come later.

Which brings me to number...

9. Make time for what you love. One of my greatest joys and blessings is music. I picked up the flute in seventh grade and fell in love. In ninth grade I joined the American Fork marching band and eventually fell in love with that, too. It has become my life. I now have the opportunity to staff at Westlake high school in Saratoga Springs and work with twelve amazing young women. Ever since ninth grade I've been super busy because all of my time was taken up with band - but I've always been okay with it because I loved it. Now I'm trying to juggle working a full time job, school, AND teaching... and somewhere in there I'm supposed to sleep and be social and date? Ha. My schedule has always brought me a lot of stress and because of that people have often suggested I give something up in order to relieve myself. But what do I give up? I work because I have to. I go to school because I should (and because I have to). And I do music because I LOVE it. The past seven years of my life have been filled with marching band and quite frankly, I can't imagine life without it. If I HAD to go to school and work, I would make time for music. So I've let myself live the stressful life so that I can have time for what I love. Because of music, I've gained friendships I'll have for forever. I've learned lessons that I wouldn't have otherwise. And it's a big part of who I am today. Advice? Make time for what you love. Even if that means sacrificing sleep and some dates with a cute boy.

10. Actually work hard in school. Ha. Ha. Boy do I regret this, big time. I didn't do terrible in high school... but I definitely didn't do amazing, either. Once I got to college I found myself regretting some of the decisions I had made in high school. I wished that I had worked a little harder and done a little better. Now, I'll be honest, I FAILED at my first two semesters of college and I'm greatly looking to redeeming myself this upcoming semester at UVU. How I did in school is probably the one thing that I would go back and change. If I could, I'd work harder and care more about my education.

11. Dress up. I love to look nice. Sometimes I sit and stare at my closet and put together outfits in my head that I can wear later on. I've had some people ask me why I take so much time to get ready or why I spend money on clothes (and by spending money I most often mean going to TJ Maxx or Ross). Answer? Because I like how I feel. I love to dress up and look nice - even if I don't have to. Now of course there are days when pajamas, pizza, and Pretty Little Liars is TOTALLY acceptable. But on the days where I'm out and about? I like to look my best. Ever since I heard this I was always afraid to go out in public looking terrible: "Always look your best. You never know if you'll meet the man of your dreams today."

12. Don't be afraid of what people think. Any of you that follow me on Facebook or Instagram know that I like to post a lot of quotes. I haven't really been afraid to share my testimony or my thoughts on the Gospel. If I find something I want to share... I share it! I'm very blunt and honest about my feelings pertaining to the Church and love to share what makes me happy. I'll admit, there have been a few times where I've been afraid to open my mouth and share something (or type something into my Facebook feed). I wonder if I annoy or if I'm too forward. But honestly - I've learned to just not care. The one day I decided not to post anything, I received a private message from a friend that said, "Thank you for posting what you post. I needed that today." So I kicked myself, got on Facebook, and posted something anyway. Advice time? Do what you want. Be who you want to be. And don't be afraid of that. "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Suess

13. It's okay to take a day off. Pizza and Netflix. Need I say more? But really. My life is incredibly busy. I'm constantly on the go and barely have time for my head to hit my pillow at the end of the day before I'm already hitting snooze on my phone the next morning. I joke about taking the day off to order pizza and watch Netflix ALL the time. And one time I actually did it (okay, I didn't order pizza... but I should have!). I took a day just for myself and caught up (probably a little too much) on my Netflix show. Best. Decision. Ever. After that day I was able to do more. I didn't feel like I was constantly on the go or like I was going to die from lack of sleep. Obviously you'll have to suffer the consequences of taking a day off... but sometimes I think it's worth it. Just don't do it too often ;).

14. Just read your scriptures. (That meme made me laugh way too hard) Just do it. I know, it's hard. It takes time. But oh is it important. My scriptures have collected dust while they sat on the dresser way too many times and I've read 1 Nephi more times than I want to even admit (due to starting over and over and over again). But I've seen just how important scripture study can be and is (I wrote a blog post on it - you should check it out by clicking this link!). I've received numerous blessings that have counseled me to seriously study the Book of Mormon. The times when I'm really good at it, I've been able to see how dramatically my life improves. How much happier I become and how much easier it is to stay strong. My life has been enormously blessed because of the Book of Mormon. I promise it's worth it to take the time to read them - your life will change once you begin a serious study.

15. Make time for the temple. This is something I wish I would have taken more advantage of while I was growing up. I remember going into the temple for the first time after turning 12 and thinking how amazing it was! I promised I would go ALL the time. Unfortunately, I'm no longer that good little beehive and I've struggled to go to the temple as often as I should, when I can go. However, I've recently put the temple into my weekly schedule. And even though I'm still not perfect at going that often, I've seen how much more blessed I am because I have a desire to go and try to as often as my life permits. I love the temple and believe that it is SO important (I wrote a post about this, too). Advice? Go as often as you can. And if you can't go right now? Get to a place so that you can. One of my favorite days to attend the temple is Monday, because it's closed - I sit and park my car in the parking lot and just simply enjoy having the temple in front of me. I promise you will be blessed for attending the temple.

16. Live in the moment. Look forward with caution but definitely DON'T live in the past. Because the past is not who you are anymore (here's another post I wrote about this). Much of who I am today is because of what's happened in my past and I wouldn't go back to change a single thing. However, there have been many times where I've looked back regrettingly (I'm aware this isn't a word) - wishing I could go back and change it all. Obviously that is literally impossible. I've come to find that I can be an amazing individual TODAY despite my past mistakes and decisions. I've also made the mistake of looking forward too longingly (refer back to #1). I'm very impatient and want things now. I wish I didn't have to wait... but I do. Looking forward too far has done me no good, though. I've found that I need to have complete and total trust in the Lord - His plan is far better than what I have in mind.

17. A day without a phone is a good day. When I turned 18 I got my first smart phone. I felt super cool. Along with the phone, we purchased a plan that would allow us to replace the phone at any time within two years for a small fee. I cherished and loved my phone and promised to be careful with it so that I wouldn't ever have to buy a replacement. Two years later and I'm on my sixth phone. The first one cracked. The second fell in the toilet. Third and fourth had similar stories. The fifth phone I decided to try and replace the screen myself (not recommended). I was phone-less for a few days as I awaited my sixth phone in the mail. Initially, my chest tightened and I thought, "Holy cow. I don't have a phone for like, three days!! What am I gonna do?!" Okay. I'm not that glued to my phone. But I did have a mini five second freak out before I realized that going without my phone was actually going to okay. I would not die. And actually... it was fantastic! I didn't feel the constant need to scroll through my Facebook news feed or check for an incoming text message. It was actually quite refreshing and relaxing. I'm not sure why we always feel the constant need to have our phones glued to the palms of our hands - it's actually quite sad. By spending so much time on our phones we lose precious time that could be spent doing other things of MUCH greater value. We miss out on memories and moments that are experienced when our eyes are not attached to our small screens. My advice? Turn it down. Put it away. Heck - turn it off! #17: LIVE IN THE MOMENT!

18. Write. I love to write. My blog is proof of this. I have a personal and scripture journal that I write in quite frequently. I find that I pay attention and remember things more when I'm writing them down. Putting my thoughts on paper helps me to think more clearly and understand things better. A few years ago, I began an electronic journal for my future children. It's filled with life experiences and advice that I would give to them if they were to ever go through the same things (i.e. how I would act differently, what I wished I would have done, etc.). I find that as I've written things down, I'm able to see my progress individually and make goals to better myself. My advice? Write. Write everything down. Write the good and the bad. The happy and sad. Just write.

19. Everybody's got something. Sometimes I look at people and think, "Man. They have it all. And they've never struggled with a thing in their life. Lucky them." I've been slapped in the face for this quite a few times... because everybody's got something. Whether that "something" is you got a bad grade on your math final or you're struggling with an addiction... everybody's got something. Something that is hard for them. Something that is unfair for them. Just because it may seem like a "piece of cake" to me doesn't mean it is for somebody else. God has created a beautiful life uniquely for each and every single one of us. The struggles and trials we go through individually are for our own personal growth and development. I go through what I go through so I can be who I need to be. And that's the same for everyone around me.

20. "Keep your chin up". When I was in junior high, my parents told me that if I joined the track team they'd buy me an mp3 player. OBVIOUSLY I joined the team! I mean, who doesn't want an mp3 player...??! Anyways. I'm the not the best runner ever - running is definitely not my thing. One day I was feeling discouraged about my performance on the team - I was always the last person and always had the slowest time. After sharing this with my dad, he told me that whenever I was having a difficult time while running, I needed to take a deep breath, put my chin up, and say "I got this". Since then, there have been numerous times when he's told me to "keep your chin up", and every time I have a difficult decision to make or am having a rough day, I remember those four words. We're all going to have a rough day - it's inevitable. We'll all be faced with decisions of what is "good, better and best" and it will be hard to choose which direction to travel in. I find hope and peace in knowing that I have someone by my side that knows what it's all like. I have a Savior that has been through any and everything. Just remember to keep your chin up... we're in God's hands and He won't let us down. With Him, we cannot fail.

And a little something extra....

21. The Church is cool. I'll admit, when I was younger I sort of wished I didn't know about the Church so that I could do whatever the heck I wanted. I'd often think, "If I weren't a Mormon I could [insert something not so great]". I sometimes wished I could go get a hamburger on Sunday or watch a movie I probably shouldn't. I'm happy to say I never did anything ridiculously stupid! But it did take a really long time for me to actually want to follow the standards of the Church. It took me a long time to want to read my scriptures and to want to go to Church. It took me a long time to want to pay my tithing or to want to pray. I did everything I was supposed to do because... well, I was supposed to. I believed that the Church was true based off of my parents and other's testimonies. I had a basic knowledge of the Church and could get up and bear a regurgitated testimony. Eventually I decided I needed to figure this Church thing out for myself - so I started doing everything I knew to do. I began reading my scriptures more. I met with my bishop. I began listening to conference talks and praying. I attended Church meetings and functions. Slowly but surely, I noticed a desire was beginning to grow inside of me (I wrote about this in a post, too). I found that I was smiling a whole lot more. Eventually I came to find my own testimony - not the testimony of those around me... but my own, personal testimony. And it meant so much more. Rather than doing things because other people expected them of me, I was doing them because I actually wanted to. I had found a desire to choose the right and serve God. The Church is cool. It really is. It keeps us safe, healthy, and happy. It wasn't designed to constrict us or make us "weirdos" (although, we are pretty weird). There is a reason why it's called "the great plan of happiness". I know that we will be truly happy if we're following the Lord's standards... especially because we want to.

The past twenty years have been good ones. I've learned and grown and couldn't be more thankful for the experiences I've had. I'm thankful for all of the amazing friends and family that the Lord has blessed me with. Thank you for your love and support.

Related posts:
to the recent graduate, 

Scripture Study Support Group

The older you get, the more decisions you have to make; Where do I want to go to school? Do I even want to go to school? What should I study? Should I go on a mission? Should I get married? Should I move? They're frustrating questions. At least for me, I sit around waiting for some grand and amazing answer from heaven. Usually nothing ever happens.

I've learned that the Lord trusts His children to make their own decisions. We have our agency... we need to use it! Nothing will ever happen... we will never progress... if we don't get up and do something - and the Lord will stop us if that 'something' isn't right.

A little while ago, I sat in sacrament meeting at Church with my family. The deacons were passing around the bread and water as I sat reading from my scriptures. After a few minutes, I noticed I wasn't paying any attention to what I was reading, because I was so focused on trying to figure out what direction I wanted to take in my life - so I decided to pull up a conference talk, because I knew I could focus easier reading that instead. I randomly clicked on October 2011 and began reading the first talk my eyes gravitated towards: "Personal Revelation and Testimony" by Barbara Thompson.

Underneath the title was a small quote from the talk: "If we diligently keep the commandments and ask in faith, answers will come in the Lord's own way and in His time."

By now I was intrigued. I began reading the talk. Once I was done, I had the thought that I needed to be better at reading the Book of Mormon and strive to gain a stronger testimony of scripture study so that I could try and receive personal revelation through my study of the scriptures.

That night, I sat at my small kitchen table, opened my scriptures and began to read. A few months earlier, I had come across a pin on Pinterest that said "How to Never Miss a Day of Scripture Reading". Excitedly, I clicked on it, but then quickly exited out because I knew that the idea would never work for me.

The writer of the blog post instructed us to find people that would be part of a "support group". Each day, after studying our scriptures, each member would report to the group and share something they liked or learned.

I sort of laughed and thought: "All of my friends are basically perfect readers. If I ask them to do this with me, they'll just know how much of a struggle it is for me." So I didn't ask anybody.

The months passed and my scripture study was still pretty spotty. Some nights it would be really effective and great! and then other nights... it... wasn't.... effective.... or great.....

So, again, as I sat at my small kitchen table reading my scriptures, the thought popped into my head that I should pull up that same blog post and invite a few friends to join me. I decided I would text one friend. Her response came as a surprise to me. "Like a support group?? Sure!"

Sweet! That wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be.... so I proceeded to invite more friends and family members. Each person I asked, joined my little group. Their responses ranged from "I'd love to!" to "Why didn't you ask me sooner?! This is exactly what I need."

It's now been just over a week and I can already tell the difference it's made for me. Each day I get excited to read in my scriptures and find what I'm going to share with my friends and family. I love getting the text messages from them and learning! Already I've learned so much! I've been able to think differently about the scriptures than I ever have before. Slowly but surely, I'm finding a deep love for them... and I love it!

I'm so thankful I got over my ridiculous fear that everyone was more perfect than Cambri and didn't struggle with reading their scriptures... because I know that my life has been certainly blessed because of the words, knowledge and sweet testimonies of my dear friends and family.

I know the scriptures are true. I know they are the word of God - And I'm so thankful I have been blessed to be part of a family where I was taught that scripture study is important. Words can't express how truly grateful I am for all the time, hard work and persecution that has gone forth in producing the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon. I know that by reading our scriptures, we will have an increased understanding of this Gospel and Christ's Atoning sacrifice. We will be blessed with the strength we need in order to move forward in our lives in confidence. We will be truly happy,



Here are some of our texts....

"...so I decided to start reading in the book 'Small and Simple Things' by Marjorie Pay Hinckley. I've read parts of it before but I want to read it all the way through because she has some great insights. Anyways, one that I liked tonight was this one: 'Just be one more voice to say that God lives and that this is His work. That will bring satisfaction.' I may not have the strongest testimony - it definitely needs a lot of work... also it reminded me of what we talked about tonight [at institute] about joining with others to declare truth. if we add our voice to others it will grow louder. It's like a crowd of people - the more people you get together the louder it gets."

"I read something in 2 Nephi 5 that I really liked. '... they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in remembrance of me... ' (verse 25). This is only part of it, but it reminded me that we should not wait for trials and challenges to come in our lives to turn to the Lord. He is there always, and we should always rely on Him during both the good and happy times as well as the bad and difficult times. He is the source of our greatest joy and the provider of peace, strength, and comfort to aid us in enduring the storms that come during this mortal life."

"Today I read in 3 Nephi 28 and it talks about the three disciples that are on the earth till judgement day. I liked verses 38-40... I like these verses because it shows that God really is more powerful that Satan and that if we are faithful, good things will happen for us in our lives."

"2 Nephi 1:5 'But, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me....' I liked this verse because it says notwithstanding our affliction. We can't just be promised a 'land of promise' without being prepared for it. we need to work for it and be changed and perfected in our afflictions before we can find out promised and covenanted lands. There is faith AND work involved. Faith is a principle of ACTION and POWER, if we have faith through our trials (meaning working at it... I know, no one likes to work :P) we will find a choice and promised land that the Lord has prepared for us, we just need to prepare ourselves first. :)"

"So, today was 2 Nephi 2:2 and 24, so it's Lehi talked to sweet little Jacob and he says this, 'thou knowest the greatness of God, and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.' And then in 24 it says 'all things do happen for a reason because Heavenly Father knows what we need INFINITELY more than we do. We know basically nothing compared to Him! Which is deeply humbling in and of itself, but I love the word consecrate because I looked it up in the dictionary and it says 'to make sacred or to dedicate to some service.' Our afflictions are to help make our lives more in line with our Heavenly Father's plan for us, for our gain... and what will we gain if we endure to the end?? EVERYTHING that heavenly Father has and wants for us. So next time you're going through something rough, just remember that one day, you'[ll have and be the person Heavenly Father knew you could be, you just might need a little nudging ;)."

"2 Nephi 7:7-8 'For the Lord God will help me... the Lord is near.' These verses are simple but they brought me a lot of peace and light during this time. I came to realize that once my Savior becomes my best friend and I constantly rely on Him, the void I feel... will be so much more filled. The Lord has called me to be a missionary, and this is what I need to focus on right now. But likened to anyone, the Savior is and always should be our best friend. He is the most true friend we will ever have. He is always there, He will always be there, and He will never leave. I know I say this all the time, but I truly do know He is always near. And He is here to help and heal me. I can find refuge in Him. Especially in hard and lonely moments, He is there to pick me up when I fall and help me put the pieces back together and heal my heart."

"I didn't read a whole lot yesterday in the scriptures but I was planning a lesson for that evening about the Word of Wisdom and how exercising is something that we need to make part of our daily lives. I found out that we do need to make sure we're not doing drugs or smoking or drinking what we're not supposed to (the basics) but also that we should be taking care of our body more by making sure it stays healthy. So yesterday we went for a walk together (to get ice cream but still) and I went to the gym and after going to the gym I had a lot more energy to do the things I needed to."

"Luke 15:20... This is in the story of the Prodigal son. How often do we not go back to our Father in Heaven because of shame or other fears??? We should be less reluctant and more like the Prodigal son who went back and who's father 'had compassion...and kissed him' this is the reaction our Father in Heaven will also have... and yet for me I am afraid to go back because what if I am the one person He doesn't do that for... I know that is not ht case but it's an incredibly strong tactic used by Satan to keep us from running to our Father who is waiting with open arms, filled with compassion just waiting for us and loving us until we come back."

"Mosiah 13:3-4... To me this means that our loving Heavenly Father won't take us when we are doing good in the world. He won't let bad things happen to us when we have a greater purpose to fulfill here on this earth."

"I read 2 Nephi 2 and in verse 7 it states 'Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto ALL those who have a 'broken heart and a contrite spirit'; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered." It's amazing to think that all it takes is a broken heart and a contrite spirit to receive such incredible blessings. It seems so simple (but it's definitely not). The part that I found interesting is where it says 'unto none else can the ends of the law be answered' so the only way to receive the blessings of the Atonement is with those two things. A broken heart and a contrite spirit."

"So I was reading in 2 Nephi 3 and it's Lehi's son Joseph talking about a 'seer' who will come from their loins who will be like Moses and his name shall be like unto his own (Joseph) and of course he is talking about Joseph Smith who would one day restore the gospel to the earth. And that got me thinking, how weird would it have been for Joseph Smith to translate that and realize that it was about himself... or did he even realize anything as he was translating?? Kind of a crazy think to think about."

"My scriptural insight tonight goes with D&C 84:46. It talks about how the Spirit will guide you the more that you listen to it."

"Mine was Moronihah. He was attacked by the lamanites but showed compassion and released all of the prisoners. contrast that will Coriantumr who sought after power... once he conquered one city, it wasn't enough so he had to have more. seeking after power and greed leads to destruction. Whereas a true leader has compassion and is kind."

"Tonight I read from 2 Nephi 9. A phrase from verse 10 jumped out at me. 'O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way...' I have seen it time and time again in my own life, but he Lord always provides a way for us. Whether it's a trial He's asked us to endure, a needed change in our lives, or an unexpected decision about work or schooling based on a prompting... He ALWAYS provides a way. sometimes it seems impossible to see, but it's always there. This doesn't always mean the path is clearly marked or laid out. Sometimes the Lord leaves the decisions up to us because He trust us. A way is always prepared for you and whatever He asks of you, even if the road ahead seems impossible or improbable. We are never left alone during these times because He is with us every step of the way. How grateful I am to know that i have a loving Heavenly father who wants the best for me and who I can talk to at anytime - He is only a prayer away."

"... [I] was reading in 1 Nephi 21:16... Christ will ALWAYS remember us, I mean how could you ever forget someone that you suffered and died for, yeah probably not likely. So if we feel like the Lord has forgotten you... maybe it's because WE have our walls up..."

"I was reading in Helaman chapter 5 tonight, and I was reading the first couple of verses that lead up to verse 12 and I like how Helaman tells his sons to keep the commandments of God and go out and tell the people of God's words, that they should do what is good and not evil, they should do things not in boast but things that lay up themselves a treasure in heaven which is eternal and not fadeth away and they will have the precious gift of eternal life. And then verse 12 how he talks about keeping a strong foundation that will stand tall against Satan."

"I was reading in Mosiah 2:41 and I love how it's just straight to the point of it you keep God's commandments and hold our faithful till the end you will be blessed in a state of never ending happiness and eternal life!"

"Tonight I read 3 Nephi 10 and one of the verses I really liked was verse 12... and it goes on to say how they were not buried, drowned, crushed, etc. I'm really glad to have this gospel in my life and the chance to learn that it is true. I know that our Heavenly father won't deceive us and that He will always be there for us, allowing us to use His Atonement so that we can return to live with Him again."

"Man I just love the scriptures!! I have personally experienced that when you come to the scriptures with a question in mind, the Lord answers your question through His words. It really is beautiful. A verse that stuck out to me in my reading tonight was in 2 Nephi 9:29.... As I thought about this some more I realized no matter how much we feel we are learning, we still need to always stay and remain humble. We depend on the Lord God for everything and He will continue to bless us with knowledge as long as we continue to follow Him, be obedient, and be humble. It is also important to remember this life is a life of learning and that we will never reach a point where we know all that we need to know. I'm so grateful for a Father in heaven who is patient with me and helps me learn and relearn and learn and relearn every single day."

"....Read about Gadianton robbers. They are bad people :). [I] liked this verse, 'Nevertheless, they did fast and pray oft, and did wax strong in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ.' Reminds me that praying is one of the most important ways to come unto Christ."

"...I read my scriptures and didn't find anything in particular that stuck out to me but I really liked what I read in 'Amazed by Grace' by Sheri Dew. It's talking about how both men and women who are endowed have access to Priesthood power and it says 'though women are not ordained to offices in the priesthood, in the temple they are endowed with Priesthood power and with knowledge of how to use that power'. I think it is so cool that even though it is the mans responsibility to carry the Priesthood, we as women can have the same exact access to that same power."

"Tonight I read about the word of wisdom. And I really like the purpose that section 89 gives for the word of wisdom. The reason for the word of wisdom is to protect us from the intents of others including Satan. Elder Packer explains this 'if someone 'under the influence' (of harmful substance) can hardly listen to plain talk, how can they respond to spiritual promptings that touch their most delicate feelings? As valuable as the Word of Wisdom is as a law of health, it may be much more valuable to you spiritually than it is physically.' I have though this so much lately. And I agree with him 100%...."

"Tonight I read in 2 Nephi 11. I came across verse 7..... This is so true. I mean, we don't get to pick when the second coming happens or when we get answers or how we get answers. It all will come in His time and in His way. Don't ever doubt for a second though that He can't hear you or that He isn't listening to you. he loves you and He cares about you and He won't ever let you down."

"Tonight I read in 2 Nephi 13:8... The scriptures often talk about what God takes away from them when the people do something wrong and what He gives to them when they are righteous and it is the same for us to some extend. There are consequences for us just like there was for them. In this day and age we think we can do anything and we'll be fine and get away with it. But He sees all and will be there at judgement day. he knows all and we can't get away with things without having the consequence following."

"Mosiah 4:27... I have a quote in my scriptures from Elder Neal A. Maxwell from the 1994 June ensign. He says: 'Happily, the Lord really does increase the capacity of the diligent... however He knows our bearing capacity, both as to coping and comprehending, and He will not give us more than we can manage at the moment, though to us it may seem otherwise.' I truly believe that - the Lord will not give us anything we don't have the strength to handle. He will help us learn and grow so that we're prepared to handle the things He'll inevitably send our way, but He will not let us suffer through something we wouldn't be able to get through with His help, too. This brings me so much comfort - knowing that I can do anything that comes my way... because He will not let me fail if I stick by His side."

"Okay, I'm reading in PMG (Preach My Gospel), chapter six about developing Christ-like attributes and I just really loved this quote 'Doubt and fear are opposed to faith. your faith will increase through diligent study , prayer, dedicated service and obedience to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and the commandments.' I like it because I have heard that fear is the opposite of faith, but never doubt. And not only that, it says 'opposed'. When I think of opposed I think of someone trying to break through a wall, it's not gonna happen. If we have doubts they are only going to go away if we have faith and act. Act to study, pray, serve and obey, and then our faith becomes strong and it brings power along with it."

"...My reading tonight was Alma 32. In the first several verses it just talks about being humbled over and over and about how it can be good to be humbled by your 'afflictions' but how much better ist is to be humbled by your choice. in the repetitiveness I decided to see what was associated with 'being humble' and the things that stuck out to me were 'teachable' 'meek' and 'poor in spirit' and I know that I am pretty much none of those. that was good for me to recognize..."

"Mormon 1:13-14... If we knowingly rebel against God all of our ties will be cut off. We have to know that we can repent and use the atonement that He so lovingly gave to us. The atonement is a powerful and a wonderful gift. It has many uses in our lives. We can't just live life like there's no tomorrow we have to remember that we have eternity and all of it to suffer or to be happy. God makes all the difference."