Simple Statement of Principle: Even though we are now experiencing the trials of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ brings us hope.
1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the atrial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

I love this scripture because it helps me to think of life in an eternal perspective. I think this is the time of the semester (especially on days like today when it snows when it should be spring!) where I am without hope: All I'm thinking of is all of the work that I have to do, how I won't have any breaks, and how all I want to do is climb in bed and sleep for a good three hours instead of writing a paper on Scottish nationalism in the 1920s. However, this scripture reminds me that the trials of our faith and the trials of our life can be overcome through the Lord Jesus Christ and it testifies to me that He is an infinite source of hope. This scripture also makes me think of President Uchtdorf's talk about the infinite power of hope. Sometimes, when I'm overwhelmed, I like to scan the talk to remember the importance of his message. My favorite lines are at the end: "And to all who suffer—to all who feel discouraged, worried, or lonely—I say with love and deep concern for you, never give in. Never surrender. Never allow despair to overcome your spirit." I have a testimony that hope is possible through the Savior Jesus Christ.

It is better to suffer affliction and choose the right than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season

Hebrews 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

This verse is referring to Moses but I think it would be amazing if it were true about each of us.
I am always amazed by the stories of the early saints. They suffered persecution and even death but many still remained faithful. Today we are tempted by worldly desires, each of which may bring us pleasure. But in reality, they will only bring us pleasure for a season. It is only by keeping the commandments and staying strong that we can have everlasting happiness and joy.

Don't Look like you belong to Christ, just Belong to Him

2Cor 10. Here Paul is talking about keeping all of our thoughts in line with the gosple.
That is something that is so very true. If you look at many example's all around us, falure or lack of faith always begins with small things. The Devil does not try and lash us down with the mighty chains of Hell right off. NO he gets us to slip one small thread around our wrist at a time time till he has us bound with a strong cord, after which he brings out the near unbreakable chains of Hell.
If we wish to be strong if we wish to belong to Christ at the end of our lives, we Must steadlaly walk in his ways becomeing more and more like him. Not just an outer apperance of a saint with the inner disaires of the devil. For out hearts, our disires are what is being faught over in this life, it is pretty well the only gift that we can really give to Christ.

Simple Statement of Principle: Heavenly Father remembers each and every one of us.

Hebrews 6
10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

I think sometimes (especially at this part of the semester) I'm so tempted to fall into apathy because I think that no one would notice if I did. I love this scripture because it reminds me of the omniscience of God. He will not forget our work, our labor, and if we are diligent we can inherit the promises of Abraham. I really like President Eyring's words because he reminds us that not only does our Heavenly Father remember us, but that we need to, in turn, remember Him: "My point is to urge you to find ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness. It will build our testimonies. You may not keep a journal. You may not share whatever record you keep with those you love and serve. But you and they will be blessed as you remember what the Lord has done. You remember that song we sometimes sing: “Count your many blessings; name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” I have a testimony that we are always remembered and because of that, we need to remember our Heavenly Father.

There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness

7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
I think it would be amazing to be able to say I have fought a good fight, finished my course, and kept the faith. It is so important we endure to the end. I love how this scripture also includes the reward we will receive if we endure to the end. I love the imagery of a crown of righteousness being laid up for us.
I love how at the end of verse 8 he includes we can all have this promise.

The Constant Gosple

2Cor 3:3 "Written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshey tables of the heart"
I thought this was a neat way of talking about our relationship with our father in heaven and our lives with the gosple. What stuck out to me is the words "fleshey tables of the heart"; because flesh heals, wounds heal, and cuts and briuses are forgoten. So what it made me think about was how the gosple is an everyday thing, it is not a once a week thing but all the week through. As our relationship with God will weaken a become as naught if we do not take care of if each and everyday.
We have the opportuinity each week to partake of the sacrament and reinscrible our love and commitment to our Savior and Heavenly Father, But in order to do that each week we not only need to addend sacrament meeting but also have our heart in it, turned to God.
Living the gosple is a act, an act that if done drives our faith down solid, holds our hearts fast and true, but if not perfromed will let us go down other paths that do not lead to eternal joy. It is our chocie to hold the love of god in our hearts or to turn from it.

Simple Statement of Principle: Jesus Christ is a sure foundation.

Scripture: Helamen 5:12
12 And now, Lexy, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

I know this is not in the New Testament, but I had a really cool experience this week so I thought I would share it. This is going to sound really strange, but for the past month I've been dreaming non-stop of tornadoes. This has been a really trying semester for me both spiritually and academically, and I've just been feeling completely overwhelmed and completely helpless. Always in my dreams, I'm doing completely normal activities, I look out the window and I see this black whirlwinds coming toward my house. I run to the basement (strange that I have to run because we live in a basement apartment) and I try to cling to some sort of piping and I assume the position that I was taught in tornado drills in second grade in central Michigan. Anyway, I've been having these awful dreams and I had it again on Sunday night. When I woke up Monday morning, though, this scripture came into my head. I think that all of the things that I have been going through this semester have been real trials, but I also think that Satan has been working really hard on me to make me feel inadequate, to make me feel unsure, to make me miserable. And I know the solution, I've always known the solution, I just wasn't tuned in to what I needed to hear: I need to turn to my Savior, I need to build my foundation on Him—not on my schooling, not on my abilities, not in the abilities of my friends or teachers, because building my foundation in the wrong place has sent me sailing with the whirlwinds. This experience has been a really strong testimony for me of how much my Heavenly Father loves me and how the atonement of Jesus Christ is a real sacrifice and the power of the atonement can heal me.

Simple Statement of Principle: The apostles of Jesus Christ lead us to be the best that we can be.
1 Thessalonians 2:11-13
11 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Maybe this scripture stuck out to me because I've been thinking about how to prepare for General Conference. I liked how we were talking a couple of weeks ago in institute about how we each choose our favorite apostles or a certain speaking style that we respond to: We like President Monson because of his stories, we enjoy listening to Elder Holland because his literary scholarship. However, I like how this scripture is written by an apostle of the Lord about the apostles of the Lord. Each of them wants to exhort, comfort, and charge all of us to live up to our divine potential. That comforts me. I'm in the process of applying to graduate programs, and I think it's really stressful, but at the same time it's so comforting to have professors who tell me they see potential in me. That statement is so much greater coming from apostles of the Lord.

M. Russell Ballard said, "If you will listen to the living prophet and the apostles and heed our counsel, you will not go astray." That is a great promise. I know that we have a divine heritage and that through the apostles that are on the earth today, we can learn to walk worthy of God.

Question of the Week: 1st Timothy 4:12

"Given the current state of things in the world, the global economic recession, the abundant/available access to foolish- filthy media, the seeming growing animosity towards the church, the attack on the family, WHY did the Brethren choose 1 Timothy 4:12 as the theme for the youth of the church this year, what do you think they want the youth to get out of that scripture?"

PS: Literally this is the most oft quote by President Monson dating back to when he became a general authority when he was 36!

The Power of opposition is great for our Good!

As I was reading over 1Cor 15, I had a thought come to me that I have thought of before but never quite in this light.
Here Paul is talking about the atonment of Christ for our sins along with the resserection.
Now what I really want to talk about is verse 43. "It is sown in dishonour: it is raised in Glory: it is sown in weakness: it is raised in power:"
As I thought about this verse I begain to think about Either 12:27 (If we turn unto God he can and will turn our weakness into streagth)

When I put those two together it really helped me to understand how opposition is really a key to us becomeing stronger and more like our Father and Savoir. It gives us the option to chose to wither and die or to streach for the sun and our dreams a prosper and grow. It really made me see so much more how it is us who make our lives.
So to shorten it all up.

Upon the sharp rocks of life lies the sharp lessons that can build our charater at expontal rates, or chip off the streagth and power we hold. IT is our Chocie as to what we will alowe to occuer upon those sharp rocks.

"Having these promises..."

Here is a statement of principle: People need motivation to act. In 2 Corinthians 7:1 it says, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." The promises referred to are found in the previous chapter--promises that the Lord will be our God, and that we will be his people, that the Lord will receive us if we purify ourselves, that he will be a Father to us and that we shall be His sons and daughters. If you take a moment to ponder, those are quite the promises. It is no wonder, then, that Paul says, "Having therefore these promises...let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness..." The price to obtain these blessings is repentance. What is amazing to me, is how much easier it is to repent when you have that vision in mind. In life I think that is generally true. When you have a goal and the end in mind, the daily toils and labors become more tolerable. As humans we need motivation to do things. In school the hope of receiving an A is what motivates students to work hard to achieve it. What we need to keep in mind, then, is what our motivation is. What is it that will prompt us to daily repent and keep the Lord's commandments? If you can find it, it will be a blessing in your life that will lead you to do good.

Spiritual Renewal

2 Corinthians 4:16
...but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

Simple statement of principle: The gospel of Jesus Christ involves constant re-commitment and constant renewal of our covenants with the Lord.

This weekend I had a really different experience: My husband and I went to the temple and did an endowment session, and instead of having a really peaceful experience, I came out of the temple with lots of questions and feeling very puzzled. Although I felt a little disappointed that I didn't have the peaceful experience that I usually do, when I was studying my scriptures I read this verse and it comforted me. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not one of complacency. We should be spiritually renewed day by day and recommit ourselves the Lord. That spiritual renewal involves doubt, involves questioning, involves studying out gospel principles in our mind in order to develop a stronger testimony of them. The restoration of the gospel came from a question: Joseph Smith didn't know which church to join, so he asked God. I know that the times in my life that my testimony has grown the most has been when I take the time to question, when I study my doubts and recommit myself to the Lord. That is when my inward self is renewed.

Concerning enduring to the end, L. Tom Perry said, "Enduring to the end requires faithfulness to the end, as in the case of Paul, who told Timothy, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Obviously, this is not an easy task. It is intended to be difficult, challenging, and, ultimately, refining as we prepare to return to live with our Father in Heaven and receive eternal blessings."

I know that spiritual renewal is difficult, but I know that it is worth it. I have a testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ and of a loving Heavenly Father who wants me to live the straight and narrow life so that I can return and live with Him.

Purge out the very last of the the leaven

1Cor 5
We can not afford to retain a partical of leaven withen our hearts, for it will leaven the whole of our hearts.

This is the perfect example of how satan works in our lives to bring us down to his level. Little by little. Not in big leaps and bounds but little by little, till we break from those things we know are right and ture and fallow other paths.
The keeping of a gruge, the concealing of malic, the ignoring of how we feel. If we harbor these feeling there in no hope for us, till we either let them go and turn to the atonment or turn to Christ to help us let them go because we have tighten our grip on them so much that we by ourselves have not power to relese them from our own grasp. Which is excactly what the devil wants, for us to lose control over our own hearts, minds, bodies and will. Which truely is the one of the only real gift we can give to our God and Father, for all else is his already. All but our will.

Do not let the diseas of leaven or Sin sit idle within your heart for truely it is and will never be idle but spreading till it controls you.

Always Be Zealous in a Good Thing

Galatians 4: 18
But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing

In the Topical Guide-- Zeal, Zealous says "(see also diligence; earnest; fervent; initiative)"
I had never really thought of the word "initiative" before when thinking about being zealous. I think this is interesting because as righteous Latter-day Saints, we need to be willing to take initiative in helping others and doing what's right. We need to be willing to stand up for what we belief and reach out to our fellow man. We should also always be actively involved in doing good. I know from personal experience that as I reach outside myself, I feel much happier and more joy in my daily life.