needing Faith

This week has been terribly difficult... Being home and searching for work has really proven more difficult than I had originally anticipated. Why is it so hard to get a job at a clothing retail store? Why can't they just realize that I am a hard worker and would be great anywhere....
WHY?

I hate that word.
A lot.
Why?


There is no faith, no hope or trust is that word and it only brings heartache.

Why is this happening to me?
Why can't I be more like her?
Why would he not want to be with me?
Why....Why....Why....

Faith #4
Learn more about the sacrament. Read about the Last Supper in Matthew 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24; and Luke 22:17–20. Establish a pattern of pondering during the sacrament by listening carefully to the sacrament hymn and prayers. Think about why we partake of the bread and water. After three weeks of following this pattern, write in your journal some of the promises you make as you partake of the sacrament and remember your baptismal covenants and what you do to keep those promises. Record in your journal how your understanding of these promises has strengthened your faith in the Savior.


I had an experience a couple nights ago when I was feeling particularly low and hopeless because I couldn't seem to find a job. I was saying my prayers and the Sacrament prayer came into my mind,
"always remember Him and keep His commandments which He has given them; that they may always have His spirit to be with them."
If I want to be led in the right direction this summer while I am home, then I need to do exactly that:

• always remember Him
• keep His commandments

Then, I will have His spirit to be with me always.

What a beautiful and hopeful promise. There are no "why's" and doubtful mindsets.
I pray continually that He will lead me in the right direction. I ask why, but then I remember that He already has it all planned and He is waiting for me to trust in that plan and give Him the reins to my life. I know that as I turn it over to Him, He will lead me to greater opportunities of happiness.

Knowledge is UNLIMITED!

Here is my reiteration of the 13th article of faith. No looking- I promise!

"We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed we may say that we follow to admonition of Paul, we believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."

I drove home from BYU on Thursday morning. All by myself..... and it was so much FUN! Blasting music, eating junk food, and the lone road.
I got home to find welcoming parents and a very attractive bed.
I went crazy and unpacked pretty much everything. My mom came up to me with a little cute smile on her face, which means she has something exciting to tell me.
Her surprise?









2 Tickets to the performance of WICKED!!!!


Now let me just say, my whole family saw this musical in LONDON ENGLAND without me. So this was sooooo exciting for me! My mom told me the story of how her visiting teaching companion had two extra tickets and just gave them to my mom! Just like that!
Well, what a beautiful performance and we had wonderful seats thanks to our new friend.

Thinking about the requirements for this experience, I was filled with appreciation for not only the performers and their talent, but the message of the play.
-Love
-Friendship
-Honesty
-Courage
-Accountability
-and more LOVE
Sometimes when we do something, it can be perceived by others in a way that we never intended it to me seen or recognized. Our intentions were true and honest, but the perception of others would say differently. How then do we fix it?

As I have had my own experiences similar in nature to those of Elphaba, where people don't understand me or the things I do, or even I don't understand why some people say what they say or do what they do, I have had this phrase come into my head on multiple occasions.
"Give each other the benefit of the doubt."
Glinda had her heart broken because of something that Elphaba did that she didn't understand. But when she put aside those hard feelings and remembered that she loved Elphie, that she was her best friend, those feelings that tore them apart disappeared and there was love and kindness.

How grateful I am for the experiences that I have been having that have led me to learn and grow. I know that the Lord is leading on a path that will only bring me more happiness.

Next Experience

Knowledge Value Experience #3

Memorize Article of Faith number thirteen and recite it to a parent, a leader, or another adult. Then visit a museum or exhibit or attend a performance that involves dance, music, speech, or drama. Using this article of faith as a guide, evaluate what you saw and heard. In your journal write your thoughts about how you can use this article of faith as a guide for all you do so the Holy Ghost will be your constant companion. Share those thoughts with a parent or leader.

I am coming up on finals week, so I don't know when I will finish this one. But I will keep working on it!!!!

time flies

So I realized that it has almost been a month since I decided to do this Personal Progress Challenge and I have just barely finished my first experience.
These past few weeks have been CRAZY!

So my experience was Virtue #3.

I read Alma chapter 5 while I was in the temple one day and thought about some of the things that Alma asks.

 13 And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.

 14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

 15 Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption braised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?

I'll be honest, I don't think I am perfect at these things. I'm human and I lose myself in the world. My struggle is to find myself once again and return to the Savior who set the perfect example for me.

I went into my Joseph Smith and the Restoration class one day and my professor commented on how happy I always look and how that really lifted his spirits before class. WOW! I have been told that I am an optimistic person, but to be told that your happiness is lifting another, that is the light of Christ. THAT is having His image in your countenances.

16 I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?

 17 Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say—Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth—and that he will save you?

 18 Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God?

 19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?

This is intense. I would never think that I could get away with "tricking" my Father in Heaven. I know that He knows all things. When I go to the temple, I especially take note of the fact that I am an imperfect person seeking the blessings of the Atonement and how I can learn to be better.
Perfect in Greek means to be complete or whole and although I can't say that I am perfect according to the world's standards, I can be complete and whole again.

 26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?

 27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?

 28 Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.

I love what it says about "sing the song of redeeming love". For me, I rejoice and praise my Lord and Savior through music and song. I love to read hymns during the Sacrament and I will always think back to my mission where I praised the Lord EVERY DAY by playing music that helped people be happy and think of the Savior.

 33 Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.

I will receive you.

What a beautiful promise. In the temple, He receives us. We learn and grow and draw closer to Him, remembering all of the promises in store for us when we are obedient and worthy.

Whenever I go to the temple, I want to be able to ask myself:
Is your attitude positive and uplifting?
Have you been humble and meek with all your dealings with your fellow man?
Have you made right the wrongs that you have done?
Have you prayed with a sincere heart, seeking forgiveness for the mistakes you have made?

These are deep questions, but if you think about it, it is the Lord's house. Wouldn't you want to be clean and whole and prepared to enter into the temple?
I do.

Personal Progress Challenge

This has been an idea influenced by my sister and a girl in my ward. It seemed to be the perfect solution to some of the difficulties I have been experiencing.

Why has Personal Progress been instituted into the Young Women program?
-helps to literally "PROGRESS"
-establishes basic foundational principles of the gospel: scripture reading, journal writing, paying tithing, etc.
-explains the importance of worthiness and obedience
-learn to depend on the Lord
-understand the value that every woman has in the eyes of our Heavenly Father
-learn while they are young

"Enter ye in at the strait gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way which leadeth to destruction and many there be who go in there at because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it."

When we learn while we are young, to make choices that are in line with the principles of the gospel and the teachings of the prophets, we are led down a path that is narrow, but it leadeth unto life and innumerable blessings.

I wrote each experience on a piece of paper and put into a bag. I shook it up and pulled out a slip of paper.
It said:


VIRTUE #3

Prepare to be worthy to enter the temple and to participate in temple ordinances. Read Alma chapter 5. Make a list of the questions Alma asks. Answer the questions for yourself, and make a list of the things you can and will do to prepare yourself to be pure and worthy to enter the temple and receive all the blessings our Heavenly Father has promised His beloved daughters.

I am making myself accountable by recording my experiences on my blog.
Maybe you guys can do it with me!

President Eyring said that Personal Progress can provide us with "Safe passage that is both possible and visible".