Temple Work

My SMART project was centered around temples and different scriptures I related to temples and this past week I have thought more about the greatness of temple work and have been reading scriptures again. Most of you don't get to read my final project, so I want to share part of the spiritual aspect of it that I learned concerning the Book of Mormon. 

It was actually quite difficult to find scripture references that directly talked about temples in the Book of Mormon since that is mostly discussed in D&C. But, one of the scriptures I did find was  Mosiah 1:18 -

“And now, it came to pass that Mosiah went and did as his father had commanded him, and proclaimed unto all the people who were in the land of Zarahemla that thereby they might gather themselves together, to go up to the temple to hear the words which his father should speak unto them.”

I really liked this scripture because it reminds you that the temple is a place to hear the words of God. Even though the scripture doesn't explicitly say that, I read that this was talking about the ability to go to the temple and be close to God and have the spirit speak to you. I love that we have the temple as a place to go to when you are wanting to be closer to Him and I know that we can hear his words through the different ordinances we do, but then also through the feeling of the spirit.

I think that this scripture can be read in many ways, but I think it is interesting to think of it as a message for the power of the temple and the ability we have to go and hear the Lord's words.

I hope to find time to go to the temple this finals week because I have a testimony of its help when life gets rough.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Caroline

Endure to the End

Recently, my family has been going through some tough things. This trial has been very challenging and has caused a few family members to stray away. This last week, things have been especially difficult and so I decided to search lds.org for things that could be comforting or helpful. I decided to look at was under the scripture guide for "Endure". There were many comforting scriptures and 3 Nephi 27:6 stuck out to me the most. This scripture is simple, and while it can be directed to the idea of sticking with your faith, I also see it in a different way. The scripture says:

"6 And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day."

Not only does this scripture remind you to be a believer of Christ and withstand any temptations or persecution, to me it also reminds you that when you are going through trials, you always have the Lord with you. This scripture is comforting because it reminds you that Christ helps you when you have faith in him.

This scripture is really applicable to what is going on in my life. It reminds me to be an example of a believer in Christ and not fall to temptation when I am struggling through a trial, but then it also reminds me that the Lord is with me and I will be rewarded for my strength.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

caroline

Beattitudes

I really enjoyed examining and learning more about 3 Nephi 12 this past week. It was really interesting to look at the verses 3-10 as a story of conversion and progress through faith. I found the steps towards to perfection to be enlightening and comforting, and it really impacted me.

The way we read the verses in this chapter are interesting because instead of looking at is as the Lord declaring who will be blessed, he is actually giving steps to reach perfection.

The first step from imperfect to perfection like Christ is vs. 3:

"3 Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

This verse can be read as where you begin in the process. You don't have a strong testimony, but you recognize that and know that you need to move forward.

The second step is described in vs. 4:

"4 And again, blessed are all they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."

In this verse, after realizing you are "poor in spirit" you mourn for the sins that you have committed and reflect on your imperfections. This mourning process if still comforted by knowledge of the possible changes you can make from the place you are in.

"5 And blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

In vs. 5, we receive step three, which is humility. When you are meek, you are ready to be taught and are open to change. Because you have recognized that you are of little faith, and have this feeling of remorse, you are humbled and ready to learn more and change. After you experience this level of humility, you are moved onto step four. This step is described in vs. 6:

"6 And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost."

This step tells of the growing desire to learn and be strengthened that follows the humble attitude. When you are finally humbled, you receive a strong hunger for the gospel and are ready to be taught and active. Before this point, you are slowly moving towards perfection and now you are actively moving towards it.

Step number five is when you really start to move beyond yourself and look more towards others. This step is described in vs. 7:

"7 And blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

In this step, you are being asked to be merciful to others and to yourself. You need to be like Christ and forgive others for their transgressions, just like Christ forgave you. You also need to forgive yourself for the sins you have made, because Christ has already forgiven you. This ability to forgive others and forgive yourself makes you more perfect through your Christ-like attribute of forgiveness.

Step six is a really big step that is very important for the progression to perfection. This is described in vs. 8:

"8 And blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

In this verse, we learn that it you are pure in heart, you shall see God. This step is another realization moment. To reach this step, you must be pure in heart - which is helped by forgiving others. When you are pure in heart, you also can see God's hand in your life. When you realize how much God has helped your life, you will have the strongest faith and this faith will drive you to bring others into the church - which is step seven. Step seven is described in vs. 9:

"9 And blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."

In vs. 9, you have finally reached the point where you are going out and sharing the gospel with others. When you are "peacemaker", you are making peace in everyone's hearts by sharing the gospel with them. When you share the gospel, you are a missionary and are called a Children of God because you are sharing his work. This step is really important because it opens others to the greatness of the gospel. When you share the gospel with others, you are opened up to criticism and that leads you to step eight, which is in vs. 10-12:

"10 And blessed are all they who are persecuted for my name’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 And blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake;
12 For ye shall have great joy and be exceedingly glad, for great shall be your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you."

In these verses, you can see how you can be persecuted for your faith. But with this persecution, you can be strengthened and rewarded. If you are tested by others and persevere, you will be stronger and closer to perfection. At this step, you are constantly being challenged and sometimes you will be pushed to your limits and you faith will be broken. When this happens, you restart the steps and through the repetition of steps, you continue to grow closer to God and to perfection. But, if stay strong and are remembering the journey and the steps you have taken, you will be on the path to perfection still.

These steps that are outlined in 3 Nephi 12 are a great reminder of how you can return to the Lord when you fall away. They are comforting because they show how the Lord has created a way for you to be perfect just like Him because that is what he wants. Repentance is the key to this process and it is the greatest gift and we are blessed for Christ's sacrifice through the Atonement. The Atonement is especially important to reflect on as we get close to Easter. I am really thankful for the Atonement and for the Plan of Salvation. I am happy that we always have a way to grow closer to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

caroline

Relief Society Conference: Trust in the Lord and Lean Not

For scripture study this week, I decided to apply some of the Relief Society Conference talks to my study. The one I am choosing to share is "Trust in the Lord and Lean Not" by Sister Bonnie H. Cordon, the Second Counselor of the Relief Society.

In her talk, she discusses the ways in which we can trust in the Lord instead of leaning away from him. The first example that she shared was scriptures. She shared that reading and studying your scriptures is a great way to avoid leaning away.

With this, I am reminded of the power of the scriptures and so I searched Book of Mormon scriptures on reading and studying the gospel. One of the examples I found was: Helaman 3: 29-30:

"29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—

30 And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out."

In this scripture, we are told of the power of trusting in the word of God. The scripture shares that if you trust in the word of God, you will be able to avoid temptations of the devil. I have definitely found that the times in my life where I am actively studying the scriptures, I am less able to be tempted by the devil.

The next tool for trusting in the Lord that Sister Cordon shares is prayer. She says to trust the Lord through prayer. She shares a personal experience where prayer helped her. One of the scriptures that is footnoted in the talk is Moroni 7:48:

"48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."

In this scripture, it tells you to pray to God with your heart and that by doing so, you will be more like him and become more pure. This is a comforting message about the great powers of prayer and its ability to help us become better. During the semester, I often rush out in the morning and don't remember to pray. This is something I need to work on because I know there are benefits to prayer and this Moroni scripture shows that.

The last tool that Sister Cordon shares is service. She explains how it is beneficial to trust in the Lord and do service. Sister Cordon shares a heartfelt story about a woman who chose to serve others when she was battling cancer. The woman, Amy Wright, chose to spend the nights that she couldn't sleep, because of her cancer symptoms, looking for ordinances that could be done in the temple, or searching for others to help. Through this service, Amy was trusting in the Lord to help her as well.

One of the scriptures shared in this talk, in relation to service, was Mosiah 2:17:

"17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

This scripture is really popular, and that is because its message is so clear and true. I have found that when I serve others, I am growing closer to God. Sometimes in life, you are so busy and it can be hard to find time to serve others. But, if you trust in the Lord to help you when you sacrifice time to serve others, it will be beneficial. It is never a bad idea to serve others and you can do it in so many ways.

These three ideas that Sister Cordon presented: Scriptures, Prayer, Service; are all great ways to grow closer to the Lord and with each one, I have personally found that to be true. I am so grateful for Relief Society Conference and how it inspires me and also how it helps me in my personal scripture study!

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

caroline ferrell

Looking at Ether 12:27

When my oldest brother went on a mission, my family made one of those build-a-bears for him and sent it out to him. In the build-a-bear, we had a recorded message with loving words from each sibling. I was only 10 years old, maybe younger, when he left and my small words of "advice" were "Love ya!". I definitely didn't know what the whole point of the build-a-bear. At least I wasn't like my younger brother who just said "Hello" in his tiny 7 year old voice. I am bringing this up because after my brother returned from his mission, his build-a-bear somehow landed in my possession. I would listen to the voices and cherish how they all sounded. In the recording, one my dad said "remember Ether 12:27!", and so I heard that reminder countless times. Even though, my dad's voice kept giving that reminder, I never put much thought into the scripture. 

Something that helps me in my scripture study is looking at the scripture mastery for the Book of Mormon. When I was looking at it earlier this week, I noticed Ether 12:27 as I was getting close to the book of Ether. I knew that the scripture was part of the scripture mastery, but still don't remember learning much about it when I was in Sunday School or Seminary. I clicked on LDS.org's information for the scripture and learned about the power of this scripture and understood why my dad chose it as a phrase in the build-a-bear message. You can look at the link I am talking about here

This is the scripture: 

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

On LDS.org's notes for this, they give background information to how this scripture is about Moroni's worries that he has weak writing. In the scripture, God teaches that if you come to Him humbly and show him your weaknesses, he will make them strong. After actually reading this scripture and understanding it, I know why my dad told my brother to remember this scripture. I am never served a mission, but I have heard about how hard they are. I can see how a scripture that teaches about weaknesses and faith in the God can be comforting to someone who is alone on their mission. The comforting message that God will strengthen you if you have faith is something that can be really applicable for everyone, but especially for a missionary. 

When I take this scripture and put it towards my current life, I can see how it can be applied very easily. As we get closer to the end of finals and all the stresses that come with it, we are in great need of God's help. Sometimes I am too prideful and believe that I can do everything on my own. But, if I humble myself and ask God for help, I know that I will be blessed with his help to strengthen me.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

caroline

Alma 36

In class this week, we discussed Alma 36. This chapter is a beautiful chiasmus. From versus 1-17 (half of 17), Alma is describing the hell that he is enduring. He even discusses in vs. 15 that he doesn't want to live no longer in his statement where he wishes that he could be extinct. The verses 1-16 describe someone who is suffering and is giving up.

On a much milder scale, I experienced this feeling of hell and loss in the months following the death of my mother and brother. In some of the darkest times, I even had the desire to just give up. I didn't think the paint that I was feeling would ever be rid from my body. This moment was a feeling of low that I had never experienced and I couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. During this time, I really drifted away from the church. I didn't really see a reason to go and felt that it was totally acceptable for me to done with it because I had gone through so much. Luckily, I didn't do anything really foolish and kept to the values I grew up with, but I had lost faith. Even though I seemed like everything was okay on the outside, inside I was drifting away and losing contact with the spirit.

This type of action that I was experiencing, is something that I have seen and talked about with other friends and family members. Sometimes Satan can creep in and take over without you really noticing. The events that had occurred in my life and the terrible loss I was feeling, made it really easy for Satan to take control piece by piece. When I finally realized how far I had drifted, I felt like Alma the beginning of vs. 17 in 36:

"And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins..."

I felt the guilt of how I had totally lost faith and I even felt like there was too much to be done in order for me to turn back. But, just like the end of vs.17 and then in vs. 18, I remembered, with the help of a close friend, the gift of the atonement in my life:

 "...behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death."

In those two verses, Alma experiences a turning point through his remembrance of the promise of an Atonement. With me, the Atonement reminded me of the ability to repent, but then also the ability to turn to the Lord for comfort when I am struggling. And although my process of turning back didn't happen in an instant like it did for Alma, I was able to turn back over time and experience what Alma describes in verses 20-12 : 

"20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy."

Although it was difficult for me to lose my mother and brother, I know that I gained something priceless from that treacherous experience. I gained the ability to truly appreciate the power of the Atonement and the ability it has to comfort you when you struggle and forgive you when you sin. I can testify that, just like Alma, you trade in the pain you are feeling for an equal amount of joy through the power of the Atonement. 


Also, I found this on google and thought it was cool and useful when you want to see the chiasmus in Alma 36! 

Thanks for reading! 

xoxo

Caroline 

Alma 7: 11-13

Alma 7:11-13 --- This section of scripture is part of scripture mastery and something that I was looking at this past week. I have been trying to actively look at scripture mastery throughout the semester in order to remind me of some of the important verses we discussed in seminary in high school and it has been a way for me to refresh on some ideas and principles. This scripture says:

 11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

 13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

When I read these verses and then looked them on the lds.org website and the notes they have listed for the scripture mastery, they had a question attached to it that really impacted me. This question was "When have you felt the healing power of the Atonement?". This question really struck me because I have been overwhelmed multiple times in my life with the healing power of the Atonement. Not only can the Atonement forgive you for any sins that you have committed, it can also comfort you when you are struggling through trial and tribulation. It has always been comforting to me to be able to turn to Jesus Christ when I am struggling and feel that I have no one to turn to. I have had unique terrible trials through my life and I have often struggled to find people to turn to because they simply do not understand. It is amazing though, to have Christ always there for you when you need help and I really think that is amazing. I really have a testimony of Christ's hand in our lives and know that he is always someone I can rely on. 

Thanks for reading! 

xoxo

caroline

Perceived Wrongs

In class this past week, we discussed the Lamanites and how they felt anger at the Nephites because of a "perceived wrong" that Laman and Lemuel felt 400 years ago by the Nephites. This "perceived wrong" lead the descendants to first feel wroth and that festered to become hate for the Nephites. This issue is applicable for us today.

Often, we can misinterpret an action made by another and become offended. Sometimes the action is so little, but it still created a rift in your feelings towards the other person. The other person might not even know that they did anything wrong and therefore don't feel a need to apologize. The "wronged" person, if they don't decide to discuss their grievances or let it go, can build up to wroth and then hate. This hate can be spread to others by gossip and creates an even bigger problem. Soon, the "perceived wrong" can turn into something terrible and hard to fix. If the "wronged" person had chosen to fix the issue in the beginning, then the relationship could be repaired and no harm could be done. This reminds me also of Luke 17:1-4 in which Christ teaches to not take offense, it says:

 “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you,[a] rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you,[b]saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

This message is important. It is better to first not take offense, but even if we do - we must always forgive. When ever I have bad feelings against another, I try to instantly say to myself "not forgiving someone is like taking a vial of poison and expecting the other person to die". It is not worth it to hold a grudge because it will do more damage to yourself than it does for the other person. It is important to remember that not only is it good for yourself to forgive, but also you have been commanded to do so by Jesus Christ. An example of how not forgiving can be damaging is the Lamanites, who because of their harbored feelings that they were not able to get over, they ended up creating so much bloodshed and heart ache. If they had simply chosen to forgive, they could have been happier and avoided all of the damage they did to themselves. 

The "perceived wrong" idea also reminds me of positive psychology, in which you think about the positive first in every situation. This can be explained in the idea that if someone replies to you text saying "K.", and you probably have had this happen before, instead of immediately thinking "they hate me" or "they don't care about this conversation" or many other things, the first thing you can think of is "they are in a hurry" or "they will probably reply more when they have more time". Even if the first two ideas are true, it doesn't matter. Just the fact that you are choosing to think positively will make a huge difference in your life. If you just immediately went with the first thought of them "hating you", you would create a "perceived wrong" and harbor unnecessary feelings of negativity. This is not the way to go, and is something that could easily be avoided. 

Basically, it is important to always get the whole story and even if you can't, there is no harm in choosing the brighter side. It is always better to avoid those "perceived wrongs", even if someone does actually wrong you, it is always better to forgive even if they do not apologize. Removing that negativity is so freeing and I know from personal experience. 

Thanks for reading! 

Comparing Yourself to Others

In class this week, we finished covering 2 Nephi and transitioned over to Jacob. In Jacob 2, we discussed riches of the world and how they affect our lives. In Jacob 2:18-19 it says:

"But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted."

These verses have a deeper meaning about how we should always put the kingdom of God before worldly possessions. In the second verse, it teaches to use your riches to do good and to help the poor and afflicted. 

Along with these two verses, Brother Griffin told a fake story about a man who was told he could fill his suitcase with whatever he desired when he died and that is what he could bring to heaven. This man, thinking he was wise, decided to melt down all of his gold so it fit perfectly in the suitcase. When he died, he brought his suitcase into heaven and when St Peter saw the contents of the suitcase, he turned to another angel and said "hey look! he brought pavement". This silly story is a reminder that the things we may find to be precious here on earth, the worldly possessions, will not be in heaven. Instead of focusing on money and having the nicest clothes, car, Instagram feed, we should focus on helping each other.

We often get caught in the trap of comparing ourselves to others and one way we do that is by measuring our outward appearance our possessions to others. God doesn't care if we have the coolest Instagram feed, or wear the most expensive clothes, he cares about how we take what we have and turn it to good. Just like my past post about service, God cares about how we choose to serve others and if we have money that can help us do that, great. But we don't need money to serve others either and the enrichment you receive from service is worth far more than gold in the afterlife. 

Thanks so much for reading!

xoxo

caroline

Service

Growing up, my parents were great examples to me. They were always willing to help others in their time of need and I was always so proud of them when I saw the way they would serve others in big and little ways.

When I was a kid, I always remembered that my mother would always be willing to help others in anyway possible. My mother always wanted to instill in my brain, the importance of service. We were never allowed to go to someone's house and sit around while others cleaned or prepared a meal. She always told us that we must always insist on giving a helping hand. We never could leave a party without helping clean up. Just like my mother, my father has has shown the importance of helping others. He would serve people in our ward, or just help some random person he saw on the street. One example was him picking up a homeless woman on the side of the street, who was asking for a ride to the other side of town. He bought her lunch and then drove her where she needed to be. When I heard this, I was really proud of what my father had done and only found out through someone else because he didn't think it was really notable to tell anyways.

These small acts were something that turned into something much bigger in my family. My siblings are all service-minded people, and it is something that has been really inspiring to me. Why I have thought of service is because I have been thinking about my calling in my ward. I have been called to serve in Nursery, and man it is tough! I really struggle with the fact that we don't get to have a Sunday School lesson and instead talk to kids all day (some who can't even talk back). When I get discouraged, I have to remind myself of the importance service that I am partaking in with the special calling of taking care of God's children. When I think about the impression I am making on their church experience, the purpose of my calling becomes even more important to me. The service is 100x more rewarding. When I was thinking about service, this scripture came to mind:

 "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."
 - Mosiah 2:17. 

The reminder of service is something I find really important in my life. I try to be better at serving others, and sometimes there isn't always an opportunity. But I know that there are small simple ways to serve others, and working hard in your calling is one of them. 

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

caroline

2 Nephi 32:3

While studying the scriptures as a kid, scripture mastery was something that was very important. We had to memorize the verse numbers and what they meant so that we could keep them in our heart. I have can admit that I have forgotten the scripture mastery almost completely, but there are still times when I read a scripture and instantly remember that it was a scripture mastery verse and I can instantly tell why it would be one. The verse that stuck out to me in recent study was

"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."

This scripture reminds me of the importance of listening to the Holy Ghost and the power of revelation. It is easy in life to completely forget the Holy Ghost and how it is important tool for us to use to stay on the right path. I often find myself busy and therefore I ignore what I need to be doing. This something I struggle with and as I have been taking this class, I have been working harder to fix this issue. 

I know that there have been times where I have listened to the spirit and feasted on the words of Christ and it has been very beneficial to me and my growth. Those moments are something I cherish and hope to experience more and more through out my life!

Thanks for reading!

xoxo 

caroline 

When Life Gets You Down

In class, we discussed Jacob in 2 Nephi 2: 1-2 . These verses of this chapter really stuck out to me because I felt that they are empowering when life is hard. The verses read: 

"And now, Jacob, I speak unto you: Thou art my firstborn in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness. And behold, in thy childhood thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy brethren.

Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain." 

In these verses, Jacob is being told how he has lived a life full of afflictions and sorrow, but despite the hardship he has endured, he still knows the greatness of God and how these hardships are for Jacob's gain. 

During my life, I have had my fair share of afflictions, like most people do. One of my biggest hardships was when my mother and brother passed away a few years ago. This moment in my life was one of the hardest times and was when I felt close to the riverbank (refer to my past blog post here). I was no longer holding on to the rod because of the confusion that something so terrible could have happened to me. This moment was when I was filled with darkness and had lost hope. I didn't make any choices that made me let go of the rod, but instead I had started to lose faith. It wasn't until a lady in my ward, who had recently lost someone, testified of the church and the eternal family that I realized how blind I was being. This testimony opened my eyes and allowed me to soak in knowledge and faith from others.

The promise of an Eternal family became a light that guided me out of the river and back to the rod. When I finally was separated enough from the hardship that I had faced, I realized the greatness of God and knew he had taken my afflictions and turned them into strength and a stronger testimony in the Gospel. Just like Jacob, I suffered through my afflictions but come out of them stronger and allowed God to consecrate them for my again. I am eternally grateful for this gospel and for the testimonies that help us gain a stronger testimony. I know that this church is true and I know that the trials that I have been given have helped me gain a stronger testimony and grow closer to God. I am so happy that during that time of darkness, I found the light and chose to be like Jacob. 

Thank you for reading! 

xoxo

Caroline

Choosing to Ponder

Hello!

In our last class, we recently talked about how to properly accept guidance and revelation. Something that really stuck out was the idea of not waiting to be "acted upon" by the spirit and instead searching for the spirit. The example that was brought up was 1 Nephi 11:1 compared to 1 Nephi 15: 1-2, and 7-9. These two verses show the difference between the reaction that Nephi had to Lehi's vision and the reaction that Laman and Lemuel had. In 1 Nephi 11:1 it states:

"For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot."

In this verse, you can see how Nephi takes what Lehi says and decides to search for answers on his own by pondering them in his heart. When he does this, he is taken away by the spirit and experience revelation. This is an excellent example of how you can have a relationship with the gospel when you choose to actively study it. When this verse is compared to 1 Nephi 15: 1-2 and 7-9, you can see how Laman and Lemuel had a completely different reaction. In the verses it says: 

"And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been carried away in the Spirit, and seen all these things, I returned to the tent of my father.

And it came to pass that I beheld my brethren, and they were disputing one with another concerning the things which my father had spoken unto them.

and in verse 7-9:

"And they said: Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the olive tree, and also concerning the Gentiles.

And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?

And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us."

In these few verses, instead of actually searching for revelation they chose to wait and be acted upon by the spirit.  They chose to be confused and not ask questions concerning the gospel and were not guided by the spirit. When I look at the difference between Nephi and Laman and Lemuel, I remember how there was a time in my life where I didn't choose to actively ponder the spirit. I wouldn't pay attention in Sunday School and Seminary, and believed that just attending was enough to help me grow closer to God. This is not the case. It wasn't until I started attending Institute at UVU, that I really decided to actively learn from the teachings of the Gospel. 

This action of me choosing to look for answers and to try and understand the gospel and follow the teachings, was as if I was in the river by the Iron Rod and I finally gained the strength to pull myself out and grab ahold of the Rod. 

I have definitely had times in my life where I have fallen off the straight path, but the moments where I decided to turn back and hold back onto the Rod helped build my testimony of the Gospel. I am so grateful that the Lord placed the river of doubt next to the Rod so that when I fall, which hopefully will not happen again, I can climb back out and find the Rod again. 

Thanks for reading!

Caroline 

True Words

Hello!

   Today in class, and a little bit on the first day, Brother Griffin discussed the miracle of the translation of the Book of Mormon, and particularly about Joseph Smith. I think that is a good place to start in my blog.
   The method in which the Prophet Joseph Smith translated the Gold Plates into the Book of Mormon is something that people really struggle with and is often something that undergoes a good amount of ridicule. Today, Brother Griffin talked about the translation of the Book of Mormon, but discussed it in a way that I had never thought about before. Brother Griffin decided to focus on Joseph Smith and how he was truly led by God when he translated the book. Brother Griffin brought up 2 Nephi 27:19 - which says:

"Wherefore it shall come to pass, that the Lord God will deliver again the book and the words thereof to him that is not learned; and the man that is not learned shall say: I am not learned."

With this verse, Brother Griffin pointed out that this verse was foreshadowing Joseph's future translation of the Gold Plates. Something very interesting that Brother Griffin pointed out was that in the verse, is that the verse is discussing how Joseph Smith wasn't a learned man. Brother Griffin continued discussing this idea and brought in Joseph Smith's journal (learn information about it here and here - which was written after the translation of the Book of Mormon - and Brother Griffin used this as evidence of how Joseph was not very "learned". When you look at a journal entry  by Joseph Smith, particularly page 4, you can see how his writing was not very advanced. Brother Griffin brought this up to show how Joseph Smith was writing the book from revelation. This idea can be seen in the second half of the of 2 Nephi 27:20 - which says: 

"Then shall the Lord God say unto him: The learned shall not read them, for they have rejected them, and I am able to do mine own work; wherefore thou shalt read the words which I shall give unto thee."

In the second part of this verse "wherefore thou shalt read the words which I shall give unto thee.", Brother Griffin pointed out that it seems more like the Lord was saying that Joseph will not be reading the words and translating them, but instead he will be reading the words that the Lord will give him. This verse furthers the ideas of Joseph, not being "learned" and was probably instead writing everything from the revelation he was receiving from the Lord. 

   Brother Griffin built of this idea off the idea of Joseph not being learned and receiving the info for the translation directly from God, and I liked that he supported this by comparing Joseph's journal writing to 1 Nephi 1 and how the writing of 1 Nephi 1 is so much more educated and meaningful than the way that Joseph writes in his journal. 

Another thing that I took from the class that really was interesting was looking at 2 Nephi 27:20 and the apart about the "learned shall not read them". This could be seen as the scriptures saying that the educated will not believe, and I think that could be a look to it. But also I think it could be seen as people who choose science over religion. As an art history major, there are many instances where this occurs in how art has progressed. In the beginning - like Medieval art - artists would create very religious works of art. This continued up until the Renaissance, but the shifted in the Baroque period. In the Baroque period there would be religious artworks but they would also have ones that they almost completely removed religion (besides some symbols in the images), but It wasn't until the Enlightenment period, which was full of science and discovery, that they started to replace images of religion with ones that are much more based in science. When we were discussing the idea of the "learned" not reading, I immediately thought of An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump (1768) by Joseph Wright Derby. In this image, Derby has removed the hand of God and has replaced it with science. This image almost references that the scientist is the new God with the depiction of a scientist being able to control the life of the bird through the use of the air pump. Although I don't think this painting is really bad, it seemed to have a similar connection to 2 Nephi 27:20 that I found particularly interesting.

An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump (1768) by Joseph Wright Derby.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo 

Caroline

The Book of Mormon

Hello!

     I will be writing on this blog about something that is really important aspect of my life, which is the Book of Mormon. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Book of Mormon has been something that has brought me comfort and guidance in times of deep trial. I was born into the church, but the big step for me in my conversion to the gospel began when I read the book completely on my own when I was seventeen.
    I have a strong testimony of gospel, and I believe that over time it will continue to get stronger through my own dedication to strengthen it. There are many ways in my life that my testimony has grown, but the times that I have noticed the most growth has been when I am seriously studying the Book of Mormon.
    While attending Brigham Young University, I am finishing up my senior year, and have taken many religion courses. Currently I am taking a Book of Mormon course, and it asks that you make a blog recording your personal experience with the Book of Mormon as you read along with the class. The type of things I will be discussing will mostly be things that I have touched me from the class discussion or from my personal scripture study.
    We are asked to share our blog on social media for our friends to read. When this idea was brought up, I was afraid of the idea of sharing my personal experiences with my Facebook friends. This feeling of fear was shortly followed by guilt when I realized that I was afraid to share my testimony with others. Once I discovered that this fear was silly and that sharing my testimony is a very beneficial thing to a world that is full of so much confusion and doubt, I gained a new feeling of purpose and excitement.
    I am excited to share my journey in reading the Book of Mormon with whoever decides to read it, and I hope that you share your own experience or respond to what I have written in the comments!

xoxo

Caroline