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