This Weekend

This weekend was full of goodness!

It began with a nice walk in the spring afternoon, followed by Rob Gardner's "The Lamb of God" performed in Sandy.  Wonderful!  I love this music and message and the peace and focus it brings!

Then a trip up the mountain brought more peace and joy and sunshine to my soul!  (A little more sunshine that I had planned on -- my face was showing it for the rest of the evening.)  ;)  I'm so grateful for the beautiful world all around me and nearby.  I love the mountains.  I'm grateful for the ability to walk and go and see these places and find the peace and beauty that our Heavenly Father has prepared for us.

Then stake conference on Saturday evening was really wonderful. The prophet Joseph Smith taught, "The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it."  The whole message on Saturday night was of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.  Speakers talked about the Last Supper, Gethsemane, the Trial and Crucifixion, and the Resurrection and we watched some of these wonderful videos....







I was so grateful for the reminder and focus on Him.  That's what it's all about!  He makes us whole.  I'm grateful for the life and love of our Savior, and our Heavenly Father and His plan.  I want to know Them both better.  I know that's one of the greatest purposes of our life.

After the Saturday evening meeting we had an ice cream social at our bishop's home.  It was very nice to have a chance to spend time with good people.

The Sunday meeting was good as well and then I had time for a Sunday nap!  :)  I attended an evening fireside.  For me, the most important part of that was a little bit of time to sit and think and write out a few thoughts and prayers and ponderings...much related to this message from today's Music and the Spoken Word - Designing a life.  

Bubbles

I really like this article!  There are lots of good things to think about....

1. TRAVEL.  See the world.  Get outside your bubble.  Go places.  Experience life and people and things that are different than you.  That's a great thing and we should do it whether near or far.  We should learn about others and be open and also share about ourselves in the process.

2. BE YOU.  We can't let the world change us.  Before and as we go and after we return we need to truly know and remember who we are and be that.  Obviously we learn and grow as we go, and must be humble, but we should be firm in our core beliefs and identity and not let the world determine that for us or make us afraid to share who we truly are.

I think that too often when we think of bubbles or sharing the gospel it sounds self-righteous.  It shouldn't be.  A humble learner and traveler will learn and share freely out of love and care and desire to learn and grow.  (I heard a neat thing this week.  Meekness is recognizing that others need you.  Humility is recognizing that you need others.)

While we humbly learn and share we need to not be distracted!  The world is loud and persuasive, so we need to be sure to stay focused on the most important thing - building Zion, truly becoming a disciple of Christ, making Christ the center of our lives.

I really like these two quotes from the article:

Joseph Smith said, “We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object. … The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,  160–61).

We need to be Zion people – A Zion Person. Pure in heart, and of one heart and mind. How do we do this? Be clean, and follow the Savior and His prophets: “We will become of one heart and one mind as we individually place the Savior at the center of our lives and follow those He has commissioned to lead us.” (Elder D. Todd Christofferson)

While reading this article I thought of salt and leaven.  Here are a couple of really good related references:

Salt and Light by Matthew Richardson

• Elder Ballard teaches that "we should not try to take ourselves or our children out of the world.  The Lord does not need a society that hides and isolates itself from the world. Rather, he needs stalwart individuals and families who live exemplary lives in the world and demonstrate that joy and fulfillment that come not of the world but through the spirit and doctrine of Jesus Christ."

Matthew 5:13

• Salt preserves and saves.
• We can't lose our savor or we're good for nothing!  ;)

We can't hide ourselves (like a bubble implies), but we must preserve the purity of our salt and light and leaven and create our 'bubble' so that it makes a difference in the world and grows in influence (like the original article says.... start with ourselves, families, then communities, etc.).  I think the world discounts bubbles.  I think that those who are interested in creating a haven of peace and goodness in their lives and homes and families are sometimes judged unfairly and seen as self-righteousness or selfish.  Those who choose to focus on and build and share the good should be valued and be able to share.

I'm reading Evicted right now.  I don't recommend it, but it's eye-opening in some ways showing the cycle of the hard, sad life when there's no leaven, or haven, or peace.  In some ways I believe these articles and thoughts are what comes after peace - peace and Zion means striving for oneness with God.  That's what we work for and share.️

Rest

I walked into church today looking for REST!  Physically I was tired, probably emotionally and spiritually, too.  I was grateful to be there and knew there would be chances for uplift, but I was kind of hoping it could be one of those 'sit quietly in the back and just feel good' kind of days.  I was hoping I wouldn't have to participate much and wanted to hear, "You're doing great.  Thanks!"  Haha!  How's that for a Sunday attitude!?  ;)  I was prepared.  I had read some of the lessons and was very glad to be there, but wasn't feeling particularly enthusiastic.

It's not too far off to think that, though, right?  After all, we have this invitation from the Savior in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  He invites us to come to Him and find rest.  I've felt that rest and joy and peace before and I do think it's a reason we go to church, but for whatever reason, and probably for very good reason, every song and lesson was more of a call to action today:

Let Us All Press On
Let us all press on in the work of the Lord,
That when life is o'er we may gain a reward;
In the fight for right let us wield a sword,
The mighty sword of truth.
Fear not, courage, though the enemy deride;
We must be victorious, for the Lord is on our side.
We'll not fear the wicked nor give heed to what they say,
But the Lord, our Heav'nly Father, him alone we will obey.
We will not retreat, though our numbers may be few
When compared with the opposite host in view;
But an unseen pow'r will aid me and you
In the glorious cause of truth.If we do what's right we have no need to fear,
For the Lord, our helper, will ever be near;
In the days of trial his Saints he will cheer,
And prosper the cause of truth.

Hope of Israel
Hope of Israel, Zion's army, Children of the promised day,
See, the Chieftain signals onward, And the battle's in array!
Hope of Israel, rise in might With the sword of truth and right;
Sound the war-cry, "Watch and pray!" Vanquish ev'ry foe today.
See the foe in countless numbers, Marshaled in the ranks of sin.
Hope of Israel, on to battle; Now the vict'ry we must win!
Strike for Zion, down with error; Flash the sword above the foe!
Ev'ry stroke disarms a foeman; Ev'ry step we conq'ring go.
Soon the battle will be over; Ev'ry foe of truth be down.
Onward, onward, youth of Zion; Thy reward the victor's crown.

As Zion's Youth in Latter-days
As Zion's youth in latter days, We stand with valiant heart,
With promise shining in our eyes, Resolved to do our part.
Upon a noble past we build; The future fills our view.
We face the challenge of our day And pledge we will be true.
The truths and values we embrace Are mocked on ev'ry hand.
Yet as we listen and obey We know we can withstand
The evils that would weaken us, The sin that would destroy.
With faith, we hold the iron rod And find in this our joy.
Thru test and trial we'll have our fears, But we will not despair.
We're here to serve a righteous cause; Truth gives us strength to dare.
We'll love, and learn, and overcome; We'll sing a joyful song,
As Zion's youth in latter days, Triumphant, pure, and strong

The Restoration of the Priesthood

A Witness of God by Elder Neil L. Andersen

I sang loudly, I made comments in each of my classes, I participated, I talked to people along the way, I was filled, I found some rest, but mostly I was motivated to not stop, to keep going.  We need to go on.  There is important, urgent work we need to do.  We have been blessed with great truths and blessings and responsibilities and we are asked to share.  Others need us and we need them and the chance to learn and grow by forgetting ourselves and serving.  We shouldn't run faster than we have strength, but we should keep going.

Two other scriptures come to mind:

• Doctrine and Covenants 128:22, "Shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing."

• Helaman 10:4-5, "Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.  And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever."

A couple of other thoughts about rest:

• Repentance brings rest (see Alma 12:34).
• We should labor diligently that others may find rest in Christ (see Jacob 1:7).

I'm grateful for these reminders and the help that He gives us when we desire rest and when we desire to serve Him.  He will give us the strength we need. 

Finding Love

This may be a slightly different post than you were expecting from the title, but hopefully just as interesting.  ;)

Last year I loved reading the Book of Mormon and studying about JOY!  I found much!

This year I've been reading the Book of Mormon and looking for love!  <3  There is a lot of love and I'm just over halfway through.  Last week I think I found the most concentrated section of love so far, mostly taught by the example of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies.

We see love demonstrated by the Lord who rescued the sons of Mosiah, then those same sons, Ammon and his brethren, go to teach the Lamanites out of love, King Lamoni and his father sense that love and accept it and allow an opportunity for their people to be converted.  Their conversion was so sincere and their love so great that they were willing to sacrifice their lives instead of fighting to protect themselves ever again.  What sweet examples of true love!

Here are a few quotes from Mosiah 28, then Alma 22-28:

"Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble."

"I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.... if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee."

"As many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth...and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.... they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren.... There was not one soul among all the people who had been converted unto the Lord that would take up arms against their brethren;

"The great God has had mercy on us.... if our brethren seek to destroy us, behold, we will hide away our swords, yea, even we will bury them deep in the earth, that they may be kept bright, as a testimony that we have never used them, at the last day; and if our brethren destroy us, behold, we shall go to our God and shall be saved.... rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives."

"Our dearly beloved brethren, who have so dearly beloved us.... my beloved brethren, we came into the wilderness not with the intent to destroy our brethren, but with the intent that perhaps we might save some few of their souls.... we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.... Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors...and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us.  For behold, they had rather sacrifice their lives than even to take the life of their enemy; and they have buried their weapons of war deep in the earth, because of their love towards their brethren."

"His bowels of mercy are over all the earth."

"They were moved with compassion"

"Let us go down and rely upon the mercies of our brethren.... we will give up the land of Jershon.... we will set our armies between the land Jershon and the land Nephi, that we may protect our brethren in the land Jershon."

Love changes us!  Love helps us see outside ourselves.  Love helps us see the greater picture.  We love because He first loved us!  We can learn to love because of Him and His love!

Relatedly, something else that has been inspiring to me lately about love... Christ's Atonement is Evidence of God's Love!  The truths in this article came to life for me just over a week ago when I was snowshoeing in the beautiful Utah mountains.  I was enjoying a peaceful afternoon by myself.  I passed a couple of other hikers, but mostly it was me and the trees and lots of untouched snow.  The world was white.  It was quiet.  It was wonderful!  I love nature.  I love the mountains.  I feel Heavenly Father's love there easily and quickly.  I had some time to sit and enjoy that place and time and peace.  While sitting and thinking and praying for a few minutes the words of a song came to mind:  Our Savior's Love

Our Savior's love Shines like the sun with perfect light,
As from above It breaks thru clouds of strife.
Lighting our way, It leads us back into his sight,
Where we may stay To share eternal life.

The Spirit, voice Of goodness, whispers to our hearts
A better choice Than evil's anguished cries.
Loud may the sound Of hope ring till all doubt departs,
And we are bound To him by loving ties.

Our Father, God Of all creation, hear us pray
In rev'rence, awed By thy Son's sacrifice.
Praises we sing. We love thy law; we will obey.
Our heav'nly King, In thee our hearts rejoice.

I felt awed by His creations, but was reminded that the greatest gift and evidence of His love is more than beautiful mountains and peaceful meadows.  It is His Son, Jesus Christ, and His Atonement.  Because of His perfect life and selfless sacrifice He can offer us the chance to repent, to change, to be better than we are.  That brings a lot of hope and purpose.  There is truly no greater gift or love!  I want to do a better job of utilizing that gift and power and love in my life.  "His arm is extended to all people who will repent and believe on his name" (Alma 19:36).  I was recently reminded of two great talks on the subject:

• A Mighty Change of Heart by President Ezra Taft Benson
• The Divine Gift of Repentance by Elder D. Todd Christofferson

And one final quote and reminder from President Thomas S. Monson, "Love is the very essence of the gospel, the noblest attribute of the human soul. Love is the remedy for ailing families, ill communities, and sick nations."  We can look for love, pray for love, share love, and be changed by love.  That's the plan and that's my goal!

Being Enough

I caught a bit of Forrest Gump on T.V. recently and was struck by his statement, "I'm not a smart man, but I know what love is."  Truly, I think he did, more than most, know what love is!  Love is humble. innocent. caring. genuine. kind. and thoughtful.  I was grateful for that simple reminder.

Recently, I've felt lacking in many ways.  I feel like I've been running in circles, but not getting anything done.  I've been giving a lot of time and what I see as love that doesn't seem to be right or enough.  ;)  I guess at least I'm not standing still, but maybe I need to stand still to figure out better what love really is.  ;)  I wonder sometimes:  What's the point?  What should I be doing?  Will I ever measure up?  What am I trying to measure up to anyway?  Where's the joy?

About the same time I started asking myself these questions I was uplifted up by these words:

1. "You're supposed to be here.  You're trusted.  You're loved.  When you're doing your best don't worry about being inadequate."

2.  President Ezra Taft Benson taught in the October 1989 Ensign, "A Mighty Change of Heart":  "We must not lose hope. Hope is an anchor to the souls of men. Satan would have us cast away that anchor. In this way he can bring discouragement and surrender. But we must not lose hope. The Lord is pleased with every effort, even the tiny, daily ones in which we strive to be more like Him. Though we may see that we have far to go on the road to perfection, we must not give up hope."

3.  Worry less about expectations and what people think.  Concentrate on Him and what He wants you to do or say.  Forget yourself.  You might worry about what the Lord thinks of you and parts of your patriarchal blessing that are not fulfilled, but there is a great deal still to happen in your life.  Much more can happen than you expect!  Mortal life is not the beginning or the end.  The key for all of us is to do all we can now.

Remember the seed that Alma teaches us to plant.  It is that we “begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection” (Alma 33:22).  Everything flows from that truth!  The seed needs depth.  Don’t let the cares of the world choke it out, but be very fruitful!  "For I, the Lord, will cause them [those whose hearts are honest and broken and spirits are contrite, and who are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice] to bring forth as a very fruitful tree which is planted in a goodly land, by a pure stream, that yieldeth much precious fruit” (D&C 97:8-9).

The reward is exactly the same for the person who increased their five talents to ten and the person who increased their two talents to four, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”  Be diligent with what you have!  Don’t compare!  Look to the Savior and others close by to improve and develop your own Christlike character, but remember that anything, if we’re diligent, is sufficient! Cultivate and apply your talents!  Nourish the seed and the spirit that’s in you!  Don’t be content with where you are.  Keep going.  Develop spiritual gifts.

Live with gratitude for all that you have – answers to prayers, talents, the Lord manifesting His hand in your life.  “He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more" (D&C 78:17-19).  Be aware and acknowledge His hand.  Express gratitude.  He wants to give us more!

Pray.  Sit and spend quiet time with the Lord.  You’re no stranger to your Heavenly Father.  He knows us.  His love is perfect and complete.  “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God...he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month….And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten” (Joel 2:23, 25).  Don’t worry about lost time and opportunities, your time wandering in the wilderness.  What the locusts have eaten God can make whole!  Progress, have joy in life!  Increase your talents, be a blessing to those around you.  Desire to reach and serve Him!  Rejoice in all that’s to come and what already has.

4.  The Lord loves and blesses us one by one.  "And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:  Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.  And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.  And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying:  Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him" (3 Nephi 11:13-16).  He blesses us with many tender mercies  and He uses us as resources to bless others.

Reflections and Inspiration

I'm grateful for some experiences this week that have made me think and want to be better:

1.  I love Trax, not only to avoid the traffic and weather, but because it gives me so much time to read!  I probably get too tied to my books or Gospel Library though and want to be more aware of those around me.  A sweet girl sat by me this week.  I was glued to my phone and she sat quietly on her phone, too, I think, for most of the morning ride.  As I started to pack up and to get ready to get off at my stop she turned to me and said, "What were you reading in the Gospel Library today?  What did you learn?  What did you like?  I'm asking you to teach me!"  WOW!  It was so wonderful!  It was an unexpected, but welcome conversation.  I wish we could have meaningful and thoughtful conversations with strangers (and friends) all the time!  I was so surprised by her question that I didn't really know what to say, but I was grateful!  Ever since then I have tried to not only notice those I'm sitting by and be a little less book-ish, but also be sure that when I close my book or phone I have something that I could share or teach someone else.

2.  I love the song, "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go."  I've sung it many times and in many settings, but for some reason today when we sang it at work it had increased meaning.  I'll go where You want me to go.  Truly, what does He want me to say?  Not, what do I think, but what does He think and want expressed?  Where does He want me to work?  What does He want me to do while I'm there?  I'll go.  I'll be loyal to Him (like Elizabeth Ann Claridge McCune's father)!

3.  We don't need to wait for trials to make us better, we can and should proactively each day be working to overcome the natural man.  "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father" (Mosiah 3:19).  That's the goal and our purpose here - to learn and to grow and to become more like Him.  Sometimes trials or opportunities come our way to help us along that path, but I'm grateful for the reminder that we don't need to wait.  Striving to be better should already be our focus and desire and then hopefully we don't have to be compelled as often to be humble.  ;)

4.  What's he doing?  Can we give him some money?  Do you have some money?  Let's go back and give him our orange.  ;)

Good Men

I had the chance to be an eavesdropper a bit recently.  I was walking behind a group of men at lunch and happened to hear part of their conversation.  It seemed clear that they desired good things, in relationships and otherwise.  I heard a very similar conversation a couple of men were having on Trax on my way home.  They were recognizing good in people, women in particular, and seemed to have desires to build good relationships.  I work in Salt Lake.  There are troubles and problems here and everywhere, but there are definitely worse places and circumstances.  Basically, I was inspired and grateful to think that there are good men in the world!

Not a day or two later I was at the temple and felt more strongly than I have in a long time that men need women and women need men.  We need a good partner, companion, help meet who is not the same as us; who can help us see things a little bit differently; who can encourage and teach and support and lift and inspire us; who we can encourage and teach and support and lift and inspire.... and love!

I'm grateful for the plan!!

Our Sphere

In one of his first talks in General Conference as the prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley said:  "This church does not belong to its President. Its head is the Lord Jesus Christ, whose name each of us has taken upon ourselves. We are all in this great endeavor together. We are here to assist our Father in His work and His glory, “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation in my sphere. No calling in this church is small or of little consequence. All of us in the pursuit of our duty touch the lives of others. To each of us in our respective responsibilities the Lord has said: “Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” (D&C 81:5).

I am grateful for his words and the reminder that we each have an important role to play.  Each one is very different, but so needed.  The prophet can't be the one to sit next to the lonely sister in sacrament meeting or invite the person we work with to come to church with us.  I believe that the Lord uses us and our unique personalities and talents and opportunities to build His kingdom in large and small ways.  The small ways are "no less serviceable" as President Howard W. Hunter taught.  For some reason I've wondered about my place and purpose and "sphere" lately and have felt a little bit like I'm spinning my wheels, but this quote has helped me remember that we need to "act well our part."

No one else can make the same difference that we can.  As we diligently do our best with the opportunities we've been given and seek to do the Lord's will I know we'll be happy and blessed and be a blessing to others.  It's not a competition or a comparison but remembering who we are and being ourselves.  Obviously we should be trying to improve ourselves along the way and work to find out and fulfill our missions, but I really think that if we are simply being real, genuine, and have a sincere desire to do His will we will be able to assist in His work.  "If [we] have desires to serve God [we] are called to the work" (see D&C 4:3).  He knows us and loves us and we are enough when we're doing our best.

2017

I'm looking forward to a really great year!  I'm grateful for how it started - a New Year's Eve spent reading and studying about light and truth and Jesus Christ!  It's helped me see a lot of good and joy and purpose the last couple of weeks and I hope for it to continue (and think I have a new tradition)!  :D

I was grateful for a wonderful Sunday School lesson about the Savior this week that helped me focus my thoughts as I've been trying to finalize my goals for the year.  Our teacher reminded us that our goals should be centered in Him.  He is what will make them and us successful!  President Boyd K. Packer taught, "[The Atonement of Jesus Christ] is the very root of Christian doctrine. You may know much about the gospel as it branches out from there, but if you only know the branches and those branches do not touch that root, if they have been cut free from that truth, there will be no life nor substance nor redemption in them.”  In other words, for our life to have substance we must be centered in and connected to Him and His Atonement (see also John 15).

So....here goes.....some of my thoughts, desires, dreams, ponderings, plans for 2017....

Simplify / Focus:  I think sometimes I'm hesitant to set goals because I don't want to try to do too much or get myself overwhelmed or distracted by things that really don't matter.  This year I want to be careful to focus on what's most important, simplify, like President Uchtdorf teaches in this month's Ensign - remember that the most important thing is to love God and love our neighbors!  I want to focus on Him this year!  Treasure His words and commandments, learn His attributes, love Him, fill my life with His Light and then share it!  This means more meaningful scripture study, prayer, and temple attendance.  I think it also means more humility, more kindness, more selflessness.

Prayer:  Meaningful, consistent prayer is one of my main goals this year!  I want to notice the blessings and all of life's gifts and express gratitude.  I also need to do more learning, seeking, asking and then be ready to receive!  In general I want to work on knowing better who I am and what I want and ask for it and make it happen!  Have faith, hope, expect His blessings!  Know that God will answer.  Recognize His answers.  I believe this will include fasting sometimes, too.  I want to figure out a good way to consistently keep a prayer journal to help remember the blessings and what I am learning.  ;)

Gratitude:  Related to prayer I want to see every day and each of its blessings as a gift.  Have you seen this video?  That's how I want to live my life!  Recognizing and not taking for granted any of life's gifts, particularly other people.  I want to express more gratitude to others, particularly family.  I hope to write 365 thank you's this year (letters, emails, etc.) to try to recognize blessings, and thank people for their influence in my life and never suppress a generous thought.

Relationships:  I feel like it's important to focus on relationships this year.  I want to focus on people and more specifically getting to know people, seeing the good, being kind, not judging or criticizing, being humble, not comparing, honoring my parents, being a good aunt, and really just loving others.  I'd like to be more open, and plan some gatherings to get to know people (dinners, book clubs, hiking adventures).  We'll see how it goes, but that's the thought and desire.

Learn:  Learning makes me happy and I hope to learn a lot this year.  I guess it's hard to know for sure what I might learn this year.  I'd really like to be open to what comes, but I'd also like to be intentional and purposeful.  I'd like to learn how to do my family history, update some things in my house, learn to cook and eat better, maybe keep a garden!  I've also been thinking a lot about talents lately.  I think that too often my goals focus on things I want to do and not enough on what I want to become.  This year I hope to work on some talents to develop and cultivate, maybe to include music, photography, writing, language, or something else yet to be identified or recognized.  ;)  I realize that I need to do something to challenge myself and get my brain working, so I hope to be proactive and improve.  I'd really like to figure out better who I am and what I can and need to contribute.

Travel:  Traveling is a way I learn and something I love!  I hope to plan a couple of weekend getaways and hopefully at least one bigger (possibly international) trip this year.  We'll see, but some of the ideas floating around in my head right now - Arizona, Minnesota, Florida, North Dakota (still need to get there!), San Diego, Montana, Canada, Australia/New Zealand, Peru, Central America??? .....and St. George, Seattle, and Hawaii are always on the list.  :D

Give / Serve / Share:  I'm happy when I'm helping someone else, so I hope to have opportunities to give and serve this year in large and small ways.  I plan to keep teaching English for a while and then we'll see what other things might come next.  I always want there to be something in my life I'm doing consistently to help others.  I also hope to express and share my faith... and fear not to do good!

Read:  I want to be a little more purposeful with my reading this year.  While 52 books has been my goal for the past few years and I plan to read as much, I want to be sure I'm reading the best books.  I hope that number will include all seven volumes of the History of the Church (that I began last year), as well as some other good Church History books as we're studying the Doctrine & Covenants, as well as Jesus the Christ, and each of the standard works.

Hike / Run / Exercise:  I want to be more consistent with exercise this year.  I'd like to get at least three hours of exercise in a week and also complete an average of a hike a week and at least one event during the year.

Time:  So, all of this may not sound like simplifying and focusing, but there are some things I'd like to cut out - less distractions, less stress, less stuff in general (keeping a clean and simple home), more sleep, more organization and earlier decisions, more commitment, more purposeful plans, and more purity and discipleship.

If I had to condense this whole post into one sentence it would be - How can I increase LIGHT in my life and share it this year!?  ;)

Sunday Thoughts

Today I was inspired by a lot of GOOD!  I don't even know where to begin.... so I'll just jump in:

I'm looking forward to studying Church History this year in Sunday School and have decided to study a little bit more about Joseph Smith.  I was inspired by my reading before church this morning.

There was more goodness and light in sacrament meeting.  I'm grateful for the sacrament and testimonies.  I know the Savior's Atonement is what heals.... everything ....it's the answer to all the problems!  Also, there are so many good people in the world, with a lot of good to share.  I think it would be a blessing if we had a chance to truly know each others' hearts.  We are each blessed with experiences that teach us and help us grow.  We can share and strengthen each other in the most important things.  It's best if we're patient and don't judge and see the good and share our own.

Today's Sunday School lesson - Behold, I Am Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World - was wonderful!  I loved studying verses from the Doctrine and Covenants that teach us more about Jesus Christ and His attributes.  I also loved this quote by President Boyd K. Packer: “[The Atonement of Jesus Christ] is the very root of Christian doctrine. You may know much about the gospel as it branches out from there, but if you only know the branches and those branches do not touch that root, if they have been cut free from that truth, there will be no life nor substance nor redemption in them.”  We must have Jesus Christ and His Atonement as the center of our lives for our lives to have life and substance!  I love that and know it's true!  He gives life and meaning and purpose.  What a wonderful thing to be thinking about as we set goals for a new year!  AND...the second we treasure up His words and diligently and faithfully keep the commandments we are encircled in the arms of His love (see D&C 6:20)!  Also, fear not, doubt not, do good (see D&C 6:33-36)!!!

President and Sister Nelson's talks at the worldwide devotional were very nice!  A couple of my takeaways:

• Be pure!  Avoid anything that offends the Spirit!  Generate more love.  As Parley P. Pratt said, “The gift of the Holy Ghost...quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands, and purifies all the natural passions and affections, and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates, and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of person, form, and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation, and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.”
• Help prepare the world for the millennial reign of the Savior by sharing the gospel!  Study the words of the prophets and of the Savior, Jesus Christ.  Know Him!  Remember that what God says is right is right and what He says is wrong is wrong.  Understand and obey divine law!  We can learn God's laws by study and faith and by living by every word that comes from God (see D&C 84:44-45)!  We can increase our discipleship by consecrating time each week to studying everything Jesus said and did....in the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants.  As we learn all we can about Jesus Christ our love for Him and His laws will grow.  We can study the topical guide and everything that He is.  We can seek to understand each of His titles and what they mean.  We can study the words of the prophets and pray for a witness of the truth.  We should learn to articulate these truths in our own words, practice, pray, and speak about what we believe.  His identify, Atonement, and attributes can become real to us and we choose to be one of His true disciples NOW!  We should love Him, serve Him, do what He did.

Finally, I'm reminded of a question that my brother-in-law asked his family last week, "When did you feel the Spirit today?"  I love that question and want to ask it more consistently in my life!  My answer today:
* When I was watching a video of the First Vision.
* When I was listening to President Hinckley's testimony.
* When I was listening to President Nelson's blessing at the end of his talk tonight.

Let Your Light Shine!

I’m grateful for LIGHT! A few things I think of when I think of light…

• Gratefully, the days are getting longer again….and someday there will be light after work with time to go hiking! ;) 
• Some of the greatest blessings in life are sunrises and sunsets. It’s fun to find a good place to enjoy them. In fact, I know of a few places and cultures where climbing to the top of the highest mountain to see the first sunrise of the new year is more important than staying up until midnight to celebrate. I’ve enjoyed that a couple of times, but was more traditional this year. ;) 
• This morning I was listening to Music and the Spoken Word and heard Lloyd Newell talking about sunflowers and how they are constantly tracking and following the sun, the light! What a great reminder for us. 
• Light reminds me of some happy and bright children in Ghana that I got to visit for a few days during a study abroad project with my graduate program. We were working with them and a nonprofit that builds playgrounds that generate electricity that is stored in batteries and lights the children can take home to read by. They truly appreciated light. 
• I remember a lot of light on my mission in South Korea. On the day I flew through Seoul I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Coming from a tiny town in Hawaii I was now living in the second largest city in Korea - with lights and people everywhere. A few months into my mission our mission president came to visit our tiny apartment in a large apartment building complex that was just one of many in Pusan. He reminded us how the light shined brightly from our little home out to the loud, busy, crowded world around. I felt small with a limited vocabulary at that time, but was grateful for the reminder that the light of the gospel was consistent, pure, and true. The world around us has become more confused, loud, busy, and dark since then, but the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, His love and Atonement is truly the only thing that will heal and save and bless all of our Heavenly Father’s children. 
• I remember a beautiful morning several years ago in the Mt Timpanogos Temple. I was sitting in the celestial room just as the sun came up and it FILLED the whole room and my heart with hope and peace and joy. 
• Light is truth, joy, happiness, direction, peace, goodness. 
• Joseph Smith saw a pillar of light exactly over his head. That light has changed the world forever. 
• There was a new star and a day and a night and a day that were light for the Nephites announcing the Savior’s birth. 
• After three days of darkness/destruction the Nephites saw a wonderful light coming down from heaven - the Savior! 
• The brother of Jared asked for light and received much more than he imagined. 
• Alma the Younger and King Lamoni and his father described the joy and the “marvelous light” they found when they were converted, when they remembered and turned to Christ and their hearts were changed. 
• Jesus Christ truly is the light of the world! His light is what gives life and purpose and meaning to all the rest!! 
• The scriptures, the words of the prophets are full of LIGHT! Just the examples I found take up many pages. ;) 
• We can share the light of Christ with others. I loved participating in the Church’s #LIGHTtheWORLD campaign. So many of the things we were asked to do pointed us directly to the Savior and his selfless example of goodness. They were small, but meaningful and intentional acts that helped us be more like Him. A few of my favorites (and some I still need to do): visit a caregiver, carry someone’s backpack, call your mom, learn about mental illness or giving sight or mobility to someone, text someone a scripture, invite a neighbor to dinner, sit by someone new, stop and listen when a child talks, ask for advice, sing, buy hand warmers to distribute, leave encouraging notes, cheer someone on, offer a prayer of pure gratitude, say nice things about someone behind their back, don’t complain, make note of people’s birthdays, be aware of someone you haven’t noticed before - get to know them. 
• I was uplifted by the examples of family, friends, and strangers around me: 
• I loved hearing my nieces and nephews tell me about the things they did - bringing dinner to a man who couldn’t hear or get up to make his own food, taking flowers to their primary teacher, making and distributing hygiene kits to homeless people, collecting food and toys to take to the families without much; 
• I was inspired by someone in the car in front of me who had a ready-made lunch to hand to the man at the side of the freeway exit asking for money; 
• I was grateful for the sweet Muslim woman who recently came from Iraq and is in an English class I teach for refugees who (on the day we were supposed to express gratitude) lifted me up with her kind expression of thanks and a hearty “MERRY CHRISTMAS!” 

I lived a couple of blocks from Temple Square for a few years and enjoyed spending time there. I’m sure many of you have been there at some point right as they turn on the Christmas lights and heard the combined audible expression of gratitude, wonder, and joy. Maybe some of you have also been there when they turn the lights off around 10:30 pm. This time the combined audible expression is a gasp of disappointment. The lights are gone for another day. Maybe you feel this sometimes. Although the physical lights might be gone for a season, we can keep His light shining brightly in our lives and share it with others every day of the year.

In Matthew 5:14-16 (from the Sermon on the Mount), Jesus teaches:
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
I love these verses, and the related verse in 3 Nephi 18:24 where the Savior teaches the Nephites:
Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do.

A few things I take from these verses:

1. He is the Light. 
2. We must share His light with the world (not hide it or forget to share it). It is needed more than ever! 
3. We should remember that our purpose in sharing the light is to glorify God. 

So…how do we do it?  How do we practically and actually be a light and let it shine?

In 2014 Sister Neill F. Marriott quoted President Monson who said, “If you want to give a light to others, you have to glow yourself.”  So, the first step….we have to glow!  How do we glow, shine, fill our own lives with light?


1. We must KNOW HIM! REMEMBER HIM ALWAYS, keep our covenants.  
- President James E. Faust said, “A sacred light comes to our eyes and countenances when we have a personal bond with our loving Heavenly Father and His Son.”

Some ways we can know Him and find that bond….
- study, know truth (read the scriptures and words of the prophets)
- live, love truth (live the doctrine and keep the commandments)
- have faith, repent, follow the Spirit…
- spend time praying, fasting, serving in the temple, appreciating nature and good music, serving others, doing what He would do….
- learn, obey, be humble, follow Jesus (like the sunflowers!)
- be pure, virtuous (have clean hands, pure hearts)
- truly love, serve (pray for and practice charity)
- be true to who you are as a child of God!
- be happy, grateful, anxiously engaged in good!
- SMILE
- Elder Robert D. Hales tells the story of riding his bike home from basketball practice at night when he was a boy. He said, "I would connect a small pear-shaped generator to my bicycle tire. Then as I pedaled, the tire would turn a tiny rotor, which produced electricity and emitted a single, welcome beam of light. It was a simple but effective mechanism. But I had to pedal to make it work! I learned quickly that if I stopped pedaling my bicycle, the light would go out. I also learned that when I was 'anxiously engaged' in pedaling, the light would become brighter and the darkness in front of me would be dispelled. The generation of spiritual light comes from daily spiritual pedaling. It comes from praying, studying the scriptures, fasting, and serving—from living the gospel and obeying the commandments. 'He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light,” said the Lord, “and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.'"
- Sister Elaine Dalton (YW General President at the time) taught in April 2012, “Your beauty—your “shine”—does not lie in makeup, gooey cream, or the latest clothing or hairstyles. It lies in your personal purity. When you live the standards and qualify for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, you can have a powerful impact in the world. Your example, even the light in your eyes, will influence others who see your “shine,” and they will want to be like you…. If you desire to make a difference in the world, you must be different from the world.”
- President Henry B. Eyring said: “Each time you choose to try to live more like the Savior, you will have your testimony strengthened. You will come in time to know for yourself that He is the Light of the World. … You will reflect to others the Light of Christ in your life.”

A few things that have brought light to my life this year:

• Reading the Book of Mormon. This year I studied JOY! There is much! The greatest joy seems to come from gratitude, faithfulness, obedience, righteousness, food, family, work, worship, covenants, service, the temple, freedom, truth, scriptures, prophets, repentance, Christ, conversion, missionary work, the Spirit 
• Visiting the Priesthood Restoration Site in Harmony, Pennsylvania and thinking about the truth and light that came to earth and that we enjoy in even greater measure now. 
• Attending the temple regularly. 
• Time spent in the mountains! :D 
• Chances to serve. 

2. Once we are glowing we need to share His light, not hide it or keep it to ourselves….
When we are filled with the light and joy of the gospel, like Lehi our first desire should be to call for our family and friends to partake of the fruit!

Peter taught in 1 Peter 3:15, “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”

Alma taught in Mosiah 18:8-10, “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all 

places that ye may be in.” 

President Monson has given two talks on this exact subject that you might enjoy for further study:

In the October 2015 General Conference he gave a talk called “Be an Example and a Light.” He highlights two scriptures - Matthew 5:14-16 and then he reads 1 Timothy 4:12 where Paul teaches:
“Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
President Monson says, “I believe the second scripture explains, in great part, how we can accomplish the first. We become examples of the believers by living the gospel of Jesus Christ in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. As we do so, our lights will shine for others to see. 

The other talk was a Nov. 2011 BYU Devotional called “Be A Light to the World.” President Monson says: "Each of you is one of a kind. Each has had experiences unique to you and you alone. You come from varied backgrounds. And yet there is much that we have in common one with another. We know where we came from, why we are here, and where we will go when we leave this life. We know that we are children of our Heavenly Father and that He loves us. We know we want to return to Him after we leave this earthly existence. We know that what we do—and don’t do—here in mortality is of utmost importance. We also know that, should we fall short, our Savior has provided us with the precious gift of the Atonement and that, if we change our lives and our hearts and take advantage of the power of the Atonement, our sins and shortcomings will be forgiven and forgotten.
"We have in common the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we know it is our responsibility to share the truths of the gospel with others. One of the chief ways in which we can share the gospel is to be a righteous example. The Apostle Paul admonished, “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” He also wrote that the followers of Christ should be “as lights in the world.”
"Just as turning on a light switch in a dark room will bathe the room in light, so providing an example of righteousness—and therefore being a light—can help to illuminate an increasingly dark world. Our opportunities to shine are limitless. They surround us each day, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. As we follow the example of the Savior, ours will be the opportunity to be a light, as it were, in the lives of those around us—whether they be our own family members, our coworkers, mere acquaintances, or total strangers."

Essentially he tells us that we must be an example of the believers. In small, but meaningful ways we can share our testimonies and the hope that is in us….
- be aware, observe and serve!
- be a friend
- forget yourself and go to work!
- Maybe some of you have read the book, The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright. A quote that has been discussed in our family since some of us read it was by a character who lost a family member and suffered a lot. She says, “‘My only journey of concern was to be like the sun, to make it through the day offering as much light and warmth and consistency for others as I could--one single day. Each day. That was all... So from that day on, I have continued to get up in the morning and offer that light, as much as I am able, in my own small way.'"
- I LOVE President Monson mentioning our uniqueness. We have different backgrounds, experiences, talents, personalities, opportunities. I think that’s on purpose. The Lord needs our uniqueness to help reflect the Savior’s light to touch different people in different places and in different ways. If we are willing and ready He will use us to bless others and bring them home to Him! He loves us. He loves each of His children! (This gives me hope. Sometimes, to those of us that may tend to be more introverted, it can be overwhelming to be seen, to shine, to not hide… but our unique talents and testimonies are needed. We truly can share and give of ourselves...in small ways that make a big difference.)
- President Faust tells the story of a 13-year-old girl waiting for the bus. A man driving by noticed that she was always smiling every day, rain or shine. Sometime later this same girl invited his daughter to a church activity...and eventually the missionaries taught the family and they were baptized. The father didn’t realize the connection at first, but is ever grateful for the girl at the bus stop who shared her smile….and more. :D

3. My last take away from the scripture in Matthew has to do with motives and why we share His light - to glorify Him!
- The world is kind of a showy place these days. Everyone is looking for the spotlight and to be their own light. In 2 Nephi 26, Nephi teaches that “priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.”
- I think it’s important that we remember that the Lord is asking us to reflect His light. Do what He would do in order to accomplish His work and His glory - “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”’
- In D&C 4, we’re reminded that “faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, quality [us] for the work.”
- In D&C 82, the Lord tells us to “seek...the interest of [our] neighbor, and do..all things with an eye single to the glory of God.”
- Matthew 6:22 teaches, “if...thine eye be single to the glory of God, thy whole body shall be full of light.”
- I love the metaphor in John 15 where the Lord says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing…. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”
- We need to share goodness. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.” But remember why we do. A pure heart will help us to accomplish God’s work and His will.
- There’s a lot more I need to learn and study about light and God’s glory in D&C 88 and 93, if you’re interested.


In closing….just a few thoughts as a reminder that there are people around us that need light.  We learn in the Doctrine and Covenants 123 that “there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations… who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it—Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing [it] to light.”  There are some who once had light, but are searching again.

Elder Bednar said to a group of BYU-Idaho students in 2002: “In a world increasingly filled with darkness, the image of Christ in [your] countenances...will radiate a light that will literally…‘chase darkness from among you.’”

Mosiah 16:9: “He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened.”

D&C 50:24: “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.”

A couple of years ago an observant friend saw that I needed a new light bulb and brought one by a few days later.  This might sound like a light bulb joke, but it got me thinking - How many light bulbs does it take to light the world? ;) ALL of them/each one of us!

Seriously, I hope that as we think about who we want to become in 2017 we will think about someone that might need some light and put the Savior’s light on a candlestick, on a hill, for them and others to see. We can smile, open our mouths, point others to Christ. Let’s not bury our talents, our testimonies, our light, our hope, our joy. The restored gospel of Jesus Christ, His Atonement, His love are the answers that will heal the world. I hope we will choose light, be light, follow Him, glow, shine, seek to glorify God! He will lead and guide us as we seek Him and desire to share.

The words in Matthew 5:14-16 are an invitation, a call to action. As we proactively look for ways to increase the light in our lives and share it with others I know that we will be blessed. We will find greater happiness and joy, we will help our Heavenly Father do His work, and we will bring joy to those around us.

Sister Camilla Kimball taught that we should "never suppress a generous thought."

Mother Teresa said, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”

President Hinckley said, “Wear on your countenance the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ — the good news that He came into the world.”

I’m grateful for so many people - my parents, my family, my friends, many of you - who have shared your light with me, uplifted and helped lead me to Him.  I'm grateful for an opportunity to share my testimony of these things. I love the Lord and His gospel. It’s truth, it’s light, it’s joy! I know this is His true church and that He is the Light and Life of the world. There’s a plan and purpose to our lives here and eternally!

2016 in Review

So, apparently I didn't make any real official and formal goals last year (that I recorded), so I exceeded expectations, right (or at least I'm still alive and got out of bed every day)?!  ;)  It was a good year and I'm grateful for each day.  I'll try to be better focused and actually accomplish something in 2017, but here are some highlights of 2016:

Reading
I read too much this year (93 books to be exact), but I guess that's what an almost daily Trax ride is good for (and without other goals reading is my default).  ;)  We did have a semi-successful family book club as well, which was fun.  You can click on the links for my individual reviews, but here were some of my favorites:

• In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon
• Life is Good:  The Book by Bert and John Jacobs
• Love Does by Bob Goff
• The Contrite Spirit:  How the Temple Helps Us Apply Christ's Atonement by Bruce C. Hafen
• That We Might Have Joy by Howard W. Hunter
• The Enoch Letters by Neal A. Maxwell
• Raising Up A Family to the Lord by Gene R. Cook
• Walk Tall, You're a Daughter of God by Jamie Glenn
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
• No Greater Love by Mother Theresa
• Coming to Know Christ by Robert L. Millet
• The Promise of a Pencil by Adam Braun
• Grit by Angela Duckworth
• When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
• Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
• Hidden Places by Lynn Austin
• Living Your Covenants Every Day by Jennifer Brinkerhoff Platt
• The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

But my real favorite, not listed or counted above, was the Book of Mormon.  I'm grateful for this incredible book!  I know it is truly the word of God and living it's teachings will make us happy today and eternally.  This year I focused on JOY, studying, looking for joy...and there is much!  The greatest joy seems to come from gratitude, remembering God, faithfulness, obedience, righteousness, family, work, worship, covenants, service, the temple, freedom, truth, scriptures, prophets, repentance, Christ, conversion, missionary work, and the Spirit.  If you haven't read this book yet it needs to be first on your list!  ;)

Traveling

• St. George - I made it to St. George three times this year - President's Day weekend, July 4th weekend, and Thanksgiving.  It was nice to relax and spend time with family hiking and running Snow Canyon, biking the river trail, getting out of the cold, exploring the new parks, feeding the ducks, watching movies, talking, hanging out, watching the rain storms, seeing a play and the live nativity at Tuacahn, and Christmas lights at the St. George Temple.
• Zion - We had a nice Kunzler Family Reunion near Zion National Park over the July 4th weekend.  It was nice for so many of us to be together.  We had some nice devotionals, a good hike, good food, swimming, a service project, and some fun games.  It was a nice week starting with a stop in St. George and then a stop on the way home at Bryce.
• Idaho - After a few days to hang out with most of the immediate family (just minus Josh and Kirsten) in Lehi, Draper, and Salt Lake (fireworks, hiking the Y, Freedom Festival parade, donuts, slip-n-slide, and Albion Basin) we spent another day all together at Lava Hot Springs.  Then the #MorganBoyz and Mom and Dad and I spent another couple of nights in Driggs, Idaho so that Dad, Matt, Megan, and I could hike Table Mountain.  BEAUTIFUL!  One of my favorite hikes and areas on the planet!  Then Mom and Dad and I drove home via Rexburg.  It was a nice week!
• Vancouver - I spent Labor Day weekend in Vancouver, Canada with my parents and Matt and Megan and their family.  Lovely!  We drove through the pouring rain from Seattle to Whistler, but then enjoyed Whistler village for a couple of days - biking, walking, swimming, hiking Blackcomb/Whistler mountain (with the help of the incredible peak-to-peak gondola).  What a neat area!  Then we spent a another night in Vancouver stopping to hike along the way.  Some of the highlights:  Noah's birthday, Church at the Squamish Branch, hiking "The Chief," Lynn Canyon, walking along Lion's Gate Bridge at sunset, the Grouse Grind (Matt's PR and my surviving and enjoying the muddy mess straight up the mountain through the canopy of trees), and Stanley Park.  It was a great weekend!
• Philadelphia - Kind of last minute I joined some friends for a few days in Philadelphia.  It was a great adventure.  I probably walked close to 20 miles in 2 days all around the city, from river to river.  ;)  It's a wonderful place!  Some of the highlights:  Logan Square, Benjamin Franklin Parkway (and all its flags and fall leaves), LOVE sculputre, City Hall (and watching them set up Christmas), Reading Terminal, Chinatown, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Constitution Center, Christ Church, Elfreth's Alley, Penn's Landing, Benjamin Franklin Bridge (across the Delaware River), the Free Library, Rodin Museum, the Art Museum steps and the Rocky Statue (at sunset while the city prepared for a run the next dayd), the Schuylkill River, Boat House Row, and the Fairmount Water Works.  There is so much history and culture.  I really like Philadelphia - it seems to me a combination of Boston and Washington, D.C.  We also got to attend the new Philadelphia Temple.  It's beautiful, designed so closely after Independence Hall, helping you remember and feel the spirit of freedom and brotherly love.  Then the main highlight of the trip was visiting the newly renovated Priesthood Restoration Site in Harmony, Pennsylvania.  I can only think of a few places in the world more sacred or special and important.  This quiet spot along the Susquehanna River was a place of growth and learning and peace for Joseph and Emma Smith.  I remember visiting Harmony eleven years ago with my family as a part of a trip around the Northeast.  This was one of my favorite places because of the peace, simplicity, and profound power.  I was grateful for the chance to return, now with a beautiful visitors' center, introductory video, restored homes of Elizabeth and Isaac Hale and Joseph and Emma Smith, and peaceful pathways to the river and the sugar bush.  In addition to the visit of John the Baptist and the restoration of the priesthood, this little area was also where most of the Book of Mormon was translated.  What blessings to the world!  It was wonderful!  On our way to the visitors' center attended church at the Scranton Ward.  It was a great weekend topped off by a stop at Valley Forge where the highlight was a walk around 'Mount Joy' through one of the most beautiful forests of fall leaves!  Great weekend!
• Christmas - It was nice to not have to travel anywhere for Christmas, but to get to spend time with family.  I enjoyed having Josh and Kirsten stay with me for a few days and hanging out quite a bit at Cari and Mike's house to celebrate.  We did some singing, visiting, golfing, hiking, sledding, elf-ing, and just hanging out and having fun.  We had some nice time visiting with Grandma Morgan and Grandma Kunzler as well.

Other Learning / Exploring

• Temples - The temple is always a highlight of my year and week.  This year I attended the Salt Lake Temple often, the Draper Temple quite a bit, the Oquirrh Mountain Temple once, and I had the -chance to attend four new temples - Provo City Center, Twin Falls Idaho, Rexburg Idaho, and Philadelphia Pennsylvania.  I'm grateful for the blessings of the temple in my life!
• English Teaching - Since June I have been teaching an English class to refugees every Tuesday night through the ESLC.  It has been a wonderful opportunity to meet some special people and learn from them.  Right now I have students from Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, South Sudan, Congo, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, North Korea, and Bhutan.  They have overcome much and have such positive attitudes and desires to learn.  I enjoy being a part of the community and learning with them.
• New Ward - They created a new mid-singles ward in Sandy in June.  It has been nice to get to know some new people and have some new opportunities for service - visiting teaching and missionary outreach work mostly, but a highlight has also been the ward choir!  I'm grateful for music, for chances to serve, and opportunities to learn and worship.
• Hiking - One of the happiest parts of the year has been time in the mountains...chasing flowers and fall leaves mostly, but just being outside is a blessing!  The highlights were Table Mountain in Idaho/Wyoming and the mountains of Canada (Blackcomb/Whistler, "The Chief," the Grouse Grind), but I also loved the Wasatch.  I hiked Grandeur Peak, Red Pine Lake, the Snowbird Tram, Willow Heights Lake, Dog Lake, Cecret Lake, Lake Blanche, Lakes Mary, Martha, and Catherine, and lots of other adventures of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons as well as Bell Canyon and the Draper trails.  I'm grateful for our Heavenly Father's beautiful creations!  
• Running - I didn't do as much running this year, but did complete the Hobble Creek Half Marathon in August (which was actually more like 14.1 miles since we had to walk about a mile from the bus to the starting line before we began).  It's a beautiful course down the canyon and on a lovely path through Mapleton and it was fun to do with Dad!
• Mission Reunion - We had a wonderful and unique mission reunion this year to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Church in Korea.  An all-missions, all-years reunion was held at the UVU events center in September.  It was so neat to see so many friends and feel the spirit of missionary work and Korea!  What a great blessing in my life that continues to bring joy!
• BYU MPA - I'm glad to still have a close association with the BYU MPA program as one of the class representatives to the board.  I spent a day in Provo for meetings in November.  It was fun to reconnect and learn what's going on lately.
• Light of the World Garden - While not a huge thing, I did enjoy a visit to the new Light of the World Garden at Thanksgiving Point.  These beautiful statues portray the life of Christ so wonderfully in a lovely setting.  

Life is good!

Peripheral Vision

Recently I bought a new winter coat.  I'm grateful, especially today, to be warm!  :)  A few things my coat has made me think about:

1. I have an increased gratitude for being warm and finding the right clothes to keep warm.  I think I'll enjoy winter more than I have in a long time.  ;)
2. Be careful with the furry hood - it might scare your three-year old niece.  ;)  
3. Another thing about the hood - it is so helpful in keeping you warm and dry, but it makes it hard to see.  It's tough to cross the street or see anyone or anything around you without pulling it back a little.  While walking in the blowing snow and waiting for Trax this evening and nearly running into a couple of people and things I started thinking about the importance of peripheral vision.  ;)

We talk often (and I actually read a book today) about the importance of staying focused on our goals and going after what we want.  Stay on the path.  Don't be distracted by things not on your path.  Some might argue that blinders or a furry hood are good for helping us stay focused and in the right way, but my experience today helped me remember the incredible value of peripheral vision.  Looking outside ourselves actually helps put things in perspective.  We can see better and are aware of what's around us.  We are not alone.  The people and things around us, their goals, their paths are also important, not only to them, but should be to us.

Yesterday we had a really great discussion in Relief Society about Elder Ballard's recent talk in General Conference, "To Whom Shall We Go?"  We shared testimonies of the joy that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings to our lives and the unique blessings we receive from following His plan and teachings.  It is a blessing to find truth and direction in His Church.

We also talked about Lehi's Dream and how it relates to Elder Ballard's plea "that we will encourage, accept, understand, and love those who are struggling with their faith.  We must never neglect any of our brothers and sisters.  We are all at different places on the path, and we need to minister to one another accordingly."  Our teacher shared a sweet analogy of walking along the path, holding to the iron rod, and then noticing a "shiny rock" close by and letting go for a second to go and see what it was.  Then just farther than that there's another one a little bit bigger that grabs her attention and pretty soon it's hard to know how to get back to the rod.  The mists of darkness have come in and the only way she knew back was to start looking for hands of people she knew were on the path, holding to the rod.  ;)  We don't know what the "shiny rocks" are in others' paths or what distractions might be enticing to us that cause us to lose our way.

This little illustration helped to me realize that in addition to holding to the rod we should also be looking to see who we can help along the way.  We can #LIGHTtheWORLD as we share our Savior's love and light with others in large and small ways.  I think the key to doing so has to do with being aware of what's in our peripheral vision.  He will put people in our path, but we need to be looking for them, praying for them, loving them.  That was my prayer today.  <3

"And His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful"

"Tell His name, sing His praise in all the world, Till all the world believes, Till every voice is lifted up to praise the Prince of Peace."

My heart is full of gratitude for Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, for His life, His love, and His gospel that brings peace and joy every day and will lead us back to Him!  I know that "the world will be healed by His power." #HisDay #mytestimony #Hehasmyheart #wardchoir #excitedforChristmas