Hold Fast To What You DO Know

Today I am grateful for the faith I've already won. I am grateful for the truths I hold dear. I know what I know and I can't deny it. With that said, I also know that there is a lot I don't know, I am confused by what I don't know, but I am not ruled by my lack of knowledge. What I do know will always outweigh what I don't know.

I know that God wants each and every one of us to succeed gloriously. I know that He has a plan for us. I know that God values families and because of that families are eternal. I know that Jesus Christ is God's son, and He atoned for our sins. I know that Christ knows our exact feelings. He understands our circumstances. He never leaves us alone. He is always there to help. I know that the temple is a holy place where we can feel peace and comfort. I know that there are prophets, seers, and revelators that are called of God. I know that scriptures bring light and knowledge. I know that we can, personally, communicate with God and that He communicates with us. But the most important knowledge that I have is that no matter where you have been, where you are going, whether you believe in Him or not, God loves YOU! 

An Attitude of Gratitude

"[...L]ive in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you." Alma 34:38

In an effort to improve my happiness, my outlook on life, and my attitude, I've decided that I need to share things that I am genuinely grateful for as often as possible throughout the month of November. Yes, I am doing this to lead up to Thanksgiving. Yes, that is an EXTREMELY cliche thing to do, but I need it.

I am grateful for my family. We are not perfect. We don't always get along, but I know I can always turn to them. ALWAYS. They support me in every decision I make. They are there to lift me up when I need it.

I am grateful for modern technology-specifically cell phones. I know this can be a necessary evil, but today I choose not to look at it that way. How amazing is it that we can call for help, communicate with a loved one, or find needed information from almost anywhere? 

I am grateful for the small tender mercies of the Lord. Things in my life are never perfect. They never go the way I plan. Nevertheless, the small blessings in my life prove to me that the Lord is aware of me. He loves me. He watches out for me. He is in the details of my life. He allows certain things to happen in my life so that I may learn and grow from them. I am grateful for His love.

"Love is the very essence of the gospel, and Jesus Christ is our Exemplar. His life was a legacy of love" -President Thomas S. Monson

At the last LDS general conference, Elder Oaks gave a talk that has resonated with me. When it was given, all I could think was "Yes! Our church needs to hear this!" This is something that I have struggled with, but something that I have always wanted to perfect. To me, this is one of my biggest struggles between my natural man and my spirit. It is the commandment to love one another as Christ loves us. 

In my life I have been blessed to feel the love that my Father in Heaven has for me. I know that He loves me. I have also been blessed to feel some of the love that He has for many of His children. I have felt His love for people that are easy for me to love, and I have felt His love for people that are not so easy for me to love, but His love is the same for all. I think this is important to recognize before I dive into Elder Oaks' talk: that everyone is loved by God.

Something that I have noticed throughout my life is that the world's standards are deteriorating. In my opinion, the world is a scary place to live, but God asks us to live here. He doesn't tell us to conform to the way of the world, but He asks that we lift where we stand. Elder Oaks says: "We are to live in the world, but not of the world. We must live in the world because, as Jesus taught in a parable, His kingdom is "like levan," whose function is to raise the whole mass by its influence." Just as yeast cannot raise dough without being in the mixture, we cannot raise the world if we don't associate with people who have different beliefs than us.

Elder Oaks shares one of my favorite stories of Christ: "...His adversaries confronted Him with the woman who had been 'taken in adultery, in the very act'. When shamed by their own hypocrisy, the accusers withdrew and left Jesus alone with the woman. He treated her with kindness by declining to condemn her at that time, but He also firmly directed her to 'sin no more.'" In order to lift those around us, we must stay firm in our beliefs, but live in example of the pure love of Christ. As we stay fixed to the truth that we know, and love those around us, we allow the Savior to show His love for us and those we associate with.

I am nowhere close to being perfect in this aspect of the gospel, but it has always bothered me when I see family members shunning or "disowning" another family member because they have different beliefs or have chosen to live a different lifestyle. I get tired of people who say that they are followers of Christ, but they bully those around them or unrighteously judge another person because they believe in different practices. True followers of Christ love ALL. The Lord didn't command us to love everyone, unless they're different. We weren't commanded to love only followers of Christ. We were commanded to love one another, including our enemies, as Christ loves us. Yes, there are times where we need to "be wise in...exercising our influence" with others, but that doesn't mean that we can't love that person.

We are meant to have charity, which is the pure love of Christ. The only way we can obtain this virtue is by allowing the Savior into our lives. He is the source of peace and love. Through Him we can see our own potential and the potential and goodness of all we come in contact with.

I challenge us all to be a little kinder to one another. Judge less, love more.

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Goals

As 2014 has come to an end, and 2015 has now begun, I've thought a lot about what I should do to improve my life over the next year. On New Year's Eve, I decided not to make any resolutions. My reasoning: I, like most people, set goals that last a week and then taper off. I've literally had the same (more or less) new year's resolutions for the past five years. I thought not making them, but just have little goals here and there, when I decide to make them, would be best. That was until I was sitting in sacrament meeting today. Our stake president started talking about goals. I honestly have no idea what he said, but I came home feeling like I needed to make a list of things that I want to accomplish this year. I know I've shared goals on here in the past (and it hasn't seemed to work), but if I know that my goals are out here for everyone to read, I feel more accountable to them.

I am not going to list all of my goals, but I have one in particular that I feel might help me improve myself, and this blog (or at least get me writing). My goal is to study the gospel more fully. I need to improve in this. I love the scriptures, and I love the prophets. I love their words and the comfort and spirit that is brought because of them. I do not take advantage of them as I should. Here's where this blog and accountability come into play. As I read and study a topic, a book of scripture, a lesson, etc. I will write my thoughts and feelings in a blog post. I would love to do this weekly, but working full-time and being a full-time student, I feel that a blog post once a week will not be realistic. So, I will post some thoughts from my studies monthly. *DISCLAIMER: I am not out for arguing and debating, I am stating what I feel and what I know to be right, I respect your beliefs, please respect mine.* 

I hope that as the New Year rolls around for you that you may set goals that improve yourself and the world around you. Don't get discouraged if you mess up or feel unaccomplished, Just remember that great things come by small processes. Be a little better today than you were yesterday and a little better tomorrow than you were today.