What is Faith?

On a fairly regular basis, I realize that I don't know a whole lot. Sometimes that comes in the form of listening to my math major friend talk about his day, sometimes in the form of hearing my roommate discuss literature, sometimes it comes when I look out into this great big world of ours and think about how much knowledge is out there. But then there are the times that I think about what I do know, and how that knowledge can go even deeper. This week, the realization came with the word faith. What is faith, anyway? I mean, what is faith really?

"Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."

-Alma 32:21

But then, what is hope? A quiet assurance. It's a sense of peace, of calm. Hope is the offspring of preparation and understanding. It enables us to move forward. To become. So as we hope for "things which are not seen, which are true" we combine our experiences with our knowledge to look forward to something greater. We hope for God. We hope in and through Him. We hope in His plan, and in His Gospel, and in His truth. We hope in all that He is and all that He does and, somewhere along the way, we realize that it's faith.

Faith is also a bit of courage. And strength. And beauty.

In the Book of Mormon, we are told, "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life" (2 Nephi 31:20). If we, indeed, express our faith through hope, then the phrase, "having a perfect brightness of hope" tells us that faith gives us light. It lifts and brightens us. Faith is the courage and the strength that we need to press forward, and it is the light by which we can see all beauty.

I once went on a hike at 4 o'clock in the morning. I stumbled along, vaguely making out shapes by the light of the Cheshire Cat moon. Unsure what it was that I would discover, I made my way to the top and looked out into the darkness. Eventually, I began to make out the first signs of dawn. It has since occurred to me that faith is hiking to the top of a mountain in the darkness, not knowing what you'll see--only that the sunrise will be spectacular.

"If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." 

-Matthew 17:20

Through faith, we can summit mountains. We can move them. With faith, nothing is impossible. Ultimately, I think faith is the ability to look beyond the limitations that we see with our mortal eyes. It is letting go of fear and doubt, and it is an absolute trust in what we feel to be undeniably true. It's hoping in God, in all that He is, and all that, through Him, we can become.

This Much I Know

"Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord's anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!"

-John Taylor (D&C 135:3)

There are a lot of things that I haven't figured out. There are a lot of things I have left to learn, and a lot of improvements I have to make. I don't know much--compared to all the information out there, I don't know anything. But this much I do know: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. It is God's one true church on the earth today. I have a loving and caring Father in Heaven who knows me and watches over me. He guides me. His Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life for me so that I can return to live with them again. I am never alone.

So as I go through life, confused and a little lost, I will always be grateful for the sacrifices of those who came before me. Joseph Smith gave all that he had to give and, though I may not be called to die for this cause, I will live for it.

Because this much I undeniably and immovably know: this church is true.

Only the Good Die Young

"The idea is to die young, as late as possible."

-Random meme found on Facebook

I believe that there is a difference between growing up and growing old. I think that you can be both crazy and mature. Maturity is nothing more than making the right decisions when it matters most--that is all that growing up entails. Growing up comes with life experiences as they teach you how to live. Growing up doesn't mean losing your sense of humor or sight of your passions, growing up doesn't require that you find yourself stuck in the past.

That's growing old.

Sometimes, I think we get it backwards. We feel like it requires a conscious effort to grow up, as if it won't happen unless we create it. And we think that growing old won't affect us until later in life, or that it won't at all. But take a look at yourself: when was the last time you ran around the yard playing imagination games, just for the fun of it? When did you stop fearing that you would miss out on something of grand excitement by taking a nap or going to bed? When did learning become a chore?

Just as growing up has a way of happening upon us, so does growing old. It catches you by surprise. In fact, most of the time we don't notice its effects because everyone around you is doing the same. We don't see the distinction between the two.

I am here to say that age and experience do not mean that you suddenly have to let go of things in life. Choosing to continue to live, rather than simply survive, certainly goes against the path of least resistance. But it's worth it. My grandma is currently training for her 21st half-marathon. And you know what? She is living. And she has something to live for.

I think that's the key. We avoid the effects of growing old by giving ourselves something to live for--something that we have a passion for, something that you would give other things up to have. And then we have to remember that we live for that thing. That, though it requires energy and sacrifice, it is far more rewarding than the things that you let go.

I may only be 19 years old, and I know I have a lot of growing up to do. But I think if I start fighting growing old now, I can nip it in the bud. I can spend my time on this earth filled with purpose and life and love. I can die young, no matter how late it happens.

Who's with me?

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Conference Weekly last week here.

This week here.

Wind Chimes

Wind chimes remind me of our Arizona days. They sound like childhood. They sound like sweet relief from the sweltering summer sun, as the faintest breeze makes its way through the yard. They sound like the old polaroid camera I used play with--running around the streets, fascinated that I could see the picture almost instantly.

When I hear wind chimes, I remember Paul--a recently sprouted palm tree my sister and I discovered. We tracked its growth weekly with a ruler made with paper, pencils, and inch approximations based on the distance between the first and second knuckles of my forefinger. When I hear wind chimes, I remember rollerblading on those black, black roads. I remember swimming with cousins, and simply adoring the novelty of being able to see underwater when I wore goggles. I remember blue raspberry snow cones, and thinking that my cousin was really odd for reading a book with as strange a title as "Harry Potter." Because, really, who names their child Harry?

I remember feeling so cool as I swept our back patio while using my mom's walkman--jamming out to Enrique Inglesias the whole time. I remember singing to my dad over the phone, wishing he were there. When I hear wind chimes, I am lead to the morning I walked out of my room to get ready for school and found my mom sitting on the couch in shock--hands over her mouth, staring at the TV screen as an airplane flew into the second twin tower. I remember loudly singing "God Bless the USA" in school.

Wind chimes remind me of Visitor, a cactus wren who occasionally flew in through our open kitchen window and made himself quite at home. I remember hikes through the cactus forests. I remember realizing that, though only five minutes apart, twenty minutes seemed an eternity longer than fifteen. Wind chimes bring memories of the class clown who, against multiple warnings from every teacher, stroked a cactus in the small garden of our school. Through tears, he explained that he did it because he, "thought the cactus was bald." Wind chimes remind me of treading fertilizer into a garden barefoot as a class, and learning the reason why it smelled so bad. It was in that class that I was taught that smart person is never bored, because she can find a way to entertain herself always.

Wind chimes remind me of the days when I didn't mind the heat one bit, and when I thought it was exciting that we happened to move into our new home on the hottest day of the year.

Today I heard wind chimes. And I remembered the days of carefree imagination. Today I played games with a three year old who shot me with his toy gun, then kissed me on the cheek to wake me from an otherwise deathly slumber. Today my baby brother gave me the biggest hugs when I needed them most, and today I caught a piece of how far I've come since the faraway days of the wind chimes.

"We are the creatures of our thinking. We can talk ourselves into defeat or we can talk ourselves into victory." 

-President Gordon B. Hinckley, entire address here.

I've still got a long way to go, but I think I can get there.

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Conference Weekly here.

The Merciful Obtain Mercy

I know I normally just post the link for the Conference Weekly talks, but this one is too good to just gloss over with a, "Hey, go check it out sometime. You know, if you feel like it."

It is beautiful. It is perfect. It is something that we should all hear on a regular basis.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf is truly an inspired man of God. As the second counselor of the First Presidency of the Church, he has lifted me countless times with his words of guidance and encouragement. And for that, I could not be more grateful. For a basic rundown on how the church is organized, visit this link.

It is easy to hold on to things--to cling to them as if they were our only way to get through life. Fear, and hurt, and bitterness seem to offer us protection. "Nevertheless, we must let go of our grievances. part of the purpose of mortality is to learn how to let go of such things. That is the Lord's way."

"We must recognize that we are all imperfect--that we are beggars before God. Haven't we all, at one time or another, meekly approached the mercy seat and pleaded for grace? haven't we wished with all the energy of our souls for mercy--to be forgiven for the mistakes we have made and the sins we have committed?

"Because we all depend on the mercy of God, how can we deny to others any measure of the grace we so desperately desire for ourselves? My beloved brothers and sisters, should we not forgive as we wish to be forgiven?"

Please take the time to listen to these words--they are the words of God, delivered by His servant. Whether you are a member of the church or not, this will lift and guide you. I promise.

The text to the whole address can be found here.

With Everlasting Truth

"Of all the creations of the Almighty there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth."

-President Gordon B. Hinckley, here

And sometimes that's all that you need to hear. 

His Divine Sacrifice

Snapshots and quotes from a weekend of love, inspiration, devotion, and revelation. We are lead by living prophets by a loving and living Savior. For more about General Conference, go here.

To read any of the full addresses from which the following quotes are taken, visit this link. [The quotes come in the same order as the list.]

"Sometimes the most powerful way to teach our children to understand a doctrine is to teach in the context of what they are experiencing right at that moment." 

-Sister Cheryl A. Esplin

"The Lord wants the members of His Church to be fully converted to His gospel." 

-President Donald L. Hallstrom

"The feeling of love from our Heavenly Father is like a gravitational pull from heaven. As we remove the distractions that pull us toward the world and exercise our agency to seek Him, we open our hearts to a celestial force which draws us toward Him." 

-Elder Paul E. Koelliker

"I am confident that our Heavenly Father's arms are constantly extended, ever ready to embrace each one of us and say to each one with that quiet, piercing voice, 'I love you.'" 

-Elder Paul E. Koelliker

"Knowing what my Savior did for me--His grace in suffering for my sins and in overcoming death so I can live again--I feel privileged to make the small sacrifice I am asked to make in His service." 

-Elder Dallin H. Oaks

"It is never too late to strengthen the foundation of faith. There is always time."

-President Henry B. Eyring

"His concern is for the faith at which you finally arrive, not the hour of the day in which you got there."

-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

"Let the redemptive, loving power of Jesus Christ brighten your life now and fill you with the hope of eternal promise. Take courage. Have faith and hope. Consider the present with fortitude and look to the future with confidence."

-Elder David S. Baxter

"You can't be right by doing wrong; you can't be wrong by doing right."

-President Thomas S. Monson 

[quoted by Elder Ulisses Soares]

"Mothers and fathers praying with children may be more important than any other example."

-Elder Quentin L. Cook

"Persistence is the answer, and a sense of humor helps."

-Elder Quentin L. Cook

"I'm grateful that that same support can come from a beloved companion on the other side of the veil. Thank you, Jeanene."

-Elder Richard G. Scott

"When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: Stop it!"

-President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"For the Atonement of the Lord and His gift of resurrection--for this sublime message of Easter--thanks be to God!" 

-Elder Russell M. Nelson

"Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where do we go after this life? No longer need these universal questions remain unanswered."

-President Thomas S. Monson

"Remove any of your fear with faith. Trust in the power of God to guide you."

-Elder M. Russell Ballard

"Of all the help we can give ... young people, the greatest will be to let them feel our confidence and that they are on the path home to God and that they can make it."

-President Henry B. Eyring

[quoted by Elder Larry Y. Wilson]

"As you ask, 'What thinks Christ of me?' you will know that you are His disciple; you are His friend. By His grace He will do for you what you cannot do for yourself."

-Elder Neil L. Andersen

"I assure you that our Heavenly Father is mindful of the challenges we face. He loves each of us and desires to bless us and help us. May we call upon Him in prayer."

-President Thomas S. Monson

One More Time

"Life is tough, that's a given. When you stand up, you're gonna be shoved back down. When you're down, you're gonna be stepped on. My advice to you doesn't come with a lot of bells and whistles. It's no secret, you'll fall down, you'll stumble, you'll get pushed, you'll land square on your face. And every time that happens, you get back on your feet. You get up just as fast as you can, no matter how many times you need to do it. Remember this, success has been and continues to be defined as getting up one more time than you've been knocked down. If experience has taught me anything, it's that nothing is free and living ain't easy. Life is hard, real hard, incredibly hard. You fail more often than you win, nobody is handing you anything. It's up to you to puff up your chest, stretch your neck and overcome all the difficult, the nasty, the mean, the unfair. You want more than you've now, prove it! You wanna be the very best there is, get out there and earn it! Once you decide that, you'll know where it is you want to be, and you won't stop pushing forward until you get there! That's how winners are made. At the end of the day, success is what we want. We all wanna win, and the race will be won. There is no question about that. So c'mon, get out on top, run faster, dream bigger, live better than you ever have before. This is in you. You can do this. Do it for yourself. Prove it to yourself."

-Limu

His Strongest Runners

"There will be days when you feel defeated, exhausted, and plain old beat-up by life's whiplash. People you love will disappoint you--and you will disappoint them. You'll probably struggle with some kind of mortal appetite. Some days it will feel as though the veil between heaven and earth is made of reinforced concrete. And you may even face a crisis of faith. In fact, you can count on trials that test your testimony and your faith...

Now is the day when His kingdom is being established once and for all, never again to be taken from the earth. This is the last leg of the relay. This is when He needs His strongest runners."

-Sheri L. Dew, "You Were Born to Lead, You Were Born for Glory"

State track, 2010. My nerves are hidden behind the smile.

With three years of high school track and four of high school cross country under my belt, I have had my fair share of running relays. I've run every leg possible at one time or another, and I have to admit that I certainly enjoyed running the second leg best--I always felt the least pressure there. There, I was coming in after my first teammate had already run and no one could definitely tell how I was placing compared to other relay teams. There were still two more legs to follow me, so there was no particular hurry to pull ahead, and all I had to do was run hard and hand off the baton.

Generally, I only ever ran relays for the fun of it anyway. My events were the mile and 2-mile. I ran long and hard, and most crowds simply don't feel like watching a relay of four girls each running a 2-mile race.  And understandably so--if I weren't such a running nerd, I'd feel the same way. When I did run a relay, though, it was often the 4x800 during indoor track, every so often a sprint medley team's 800 leg, and on rare occasions I'd run a 400 leg. (A distance girl can only shrink her races down so far before placing begins to suffer significantly.) It was all random, and I enjoyed the laid back races my relays often were.

But junior year was different.

The girls' head coach decided to put together a real sprint medley team. Not one that we threw together the day of the meet, but one that consistently ran together at every meet with a same end goal: state. It didn't matter how we qualified, it didn't matter what it took, we were going to state.

The sprint medley is an interesting race. Two 200 meter legs, a 400 meter, and an 800 meter to finish. One mile divided by four girls, and I was chosen to run the 800 leg--half the distance of the race, and about as short as I could go and still do reasonably well. The legs are always run in the above listed order, which placed me, for no reason other than standard protocol, as the final leg.

Each race, I stood and watched my teammates run their best. I cheered, I hoped, I prayed. I jumped in excitement, and clenched my teeth in apprehension. "Yesyesyes," "gogogo," and "come ooooonnnnn, comeoncomeoncomeon" became new and commonly used parts of my vocabulary--often whispered under my breath as I circled around, watching each stride around the all-weather track (which was expected to live up to its name every meet). 

But the moment that baton was placed in my hand, it no longer mattered what had happened in the first three legs. Whether the other girls had run well or not, it was always up to me to pull it in and finish our race strong. The girls ran hard, they gave their best, and I was expected to do the same--plus pick up any slack that may have been left along the way. That is simply the nature of the final leg, no matter the race. 

And so, here we are in the final leg of the race against sin. We, however, have been placed in this leg for more valid a reason than the "standard protocol" order of events. Each of us have been placed here because the Lord knows that we can handle it. He knows that we will fight for the truth, He knows us to be His strongest runners.

There is a lot of weight carried in that knowledge--weight to carry, but also to strengthen. What more comforting, encouraging, and uplifting knowledge can we have than to know that our Father in Heaven trusts most absolutely in our ability? 

If God, who knows all, has enough faith in you to send you here as His strongest runner, can't you find the faith in yourself to run your best?

He is counting on you. He is counting on each of us. He knows your potential--He has seen what you have done, and what you can yet do. He knows what you can become. Trust that He has sent you to earth at this time for a purpose, trust that you are strong enough, and trust that He will strengthen you beyond your own abilities. You are never alone. You are running this race with others against sin, and those who have come before and will yet come are cheering from the sidelines.

And through it all, you will be further strengthened and become more able to thrive through the challenges. You will see the Lord's guiding hand. And, if you choose to listen, you will hear the affirmations that you are, indeed, one of His strongest runners--destined for greatness.

Whatever Difficulties Might

He told me I should never get discouraged, whatever difficulties might surround me. If I were sunk in the lowest pit of Nova Scotia and all the Rocky Mountains piled on top of me, I ought not to be discouraged, but hang on, exercise  faith, and keep good courage, and I should come on top.

-George A. Smith, speaking of his cousin, the prophet Joseph Smith

Photo Credit

In His Love

There's that nagging again. It comes and it goes. Sometimes it stays longer than others, but always it's just persistent enough to be noticed and not quite enough to be recognized.

Tap. Tap tap. Something, from somewhere, tapping. And man, that tapping sure is stubborn.  That tapping just won't stop. As if to say, "Hey! Hey you! Hey you, wake up down there! Hey, remember me? Remember where you're headed? Don't you remember what you want, what your goal is? Don't you remember why you're here in the first place? Don't you remember who I am?"

Have you ever felt homesick for a home you can't quite remember? There are moments when I catch a glimpse--just a split second--of a place where everything feels right, where things fell into place a long time ago and won't be moving any time soon. And it feels so familiar. I have been there before, and I long to return. But just as I catch hold of the image in my mind, it slips away--only to visit again for another fleeting moment.

I imagine the Nephites felt similarly when Christ came to visit them. It must have felt so familiar, as if they were getting a glimpse into the home they once knew. When the time came for Him to leave, they looked "steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer" (3 Nephi 17:5). They had just caught hold of that fleeting moment and were nowhere near ready to let it go. In all His compassion and glory, Christ was moved to show unto the Nephites as He had to those in Jerusalem--He healed their sick and afflicted, He blessed their children, He prayed for them.

I was once told that the greatest service you can ever do for anyone is to pray for them. What power there is in that statement. The nearest we can come to charity--to feeling and acting upon Christ's pure love--is prayer. Always accessible, always available, prayer.

Christ prays for us. Of the multitudes surrounding Christ during His visit to the Americas, it is written, "No one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father." Imagine the power of this moment--imagine the peace and the joy, imagine hearing your Lord and Savior praying to your Father in Heaven for you. I cannot comprehend a moment where I would feel more encircled about in His love than that.

Perhaps, through faith, we might longer hold to that glimpse of home. Perhaps that fleeting moment might "tarry a little longer." Perhaps, through our faith we, as the woman in Jerusalem, can catch hold of the hem of His garment and truly be healed.

Photo Credit

One Step at a Time

Here is how it goes down. Before the month of February comes to a close, I will successfully complete the following: a quiz, two papers, five exams, and scholarship applications. In addition to the usual load of everyday craziness. Finals week is going to be a piece of cake by comparison--there's a plus.

This is me. Until July.

"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

-Doctrine and Covenants 84:88

Live the Adventure

Photo Credit

Okay, let's be honest here. Is the above picture not the best thing you have ever seen? (Also, why is that a phrase? "Is this not the [insert adjective here] thing you've ever seen?" It doesn't even make any sense.) I love love love this quote. Life most certainly is one adventure after another.

Take, for example, the kid that was dressed up as a Pokémon trainer--complete with a stuffed Pikachu--in the library.

Or my Physical Science professor who taught the lecture about the weight of different molecules by breathing in helium and sulfur hexaflouride.

Or the guy at the next table over reading the Police Beats from today's paper out loud at lunch. Sounds like BYU police are keeping campus safe, questioning one George-Foreman-chicken-griller occupying the library at a time.

Morning Done Right

Prayer + run = a morning well done.

One of my favorite times to pray is while I'm running. There's something about running away from everyday life, from the absolute insanity of a hair-infested apartment filled with six busy college girls, stepping outside and just enjoying the beauty of the world that God created for us.

And besides, how can you deny a view like this?

Man, I sure do love the temple. I couldn't think of a single place I'd rather be on a Tuesday morning.

Click here to watch a video of church leaders expressing their thoughts on the temple and here for answers to common questions about the temple.

May we make whatever sacrifices are necessary to attend the temple and to have the spirit of the temple in our hearts and in our homes.

-President Thomas S. Monson

Saving Lives

There was a blood drive on campus yesterday. As I rushed back to my apartment for a faster-than-a-sub-2-hour-marathon lunch before I ran off to my internship, I saw the sign announcing an opportunity to save three lives and get a free t-shirt while I was at it. 

Words cannot describe the conflict my soul felt in that moment.

"It won't take that long," I argued to myself, "It just barely started--I bet there's not even a line."

"But you haven't even had lunch yet," myself argued back. "Also, you most certainly did not sleep enough last night...or did you? I can't remember. Well, if you can't remember how much you slept, it's only safe to assume that the memory loss can be attributed to sleep deprivation."

"What if I just grab a quick and oh-so-delicious pork barbacoa wrap, eat it on my way, and then save three lives?"

"The lines might have appeared by then. So then you'd have to wait in line, answer all of those dumb but important questions, actually give blood, recover, walk back to your apartment, make yourself dinner to eat in your Book of Mormon class, walk back to your car and drive to your internship. Honey, I guarantee there is not enough time for that today."

Whoops, apparently I got a little sassy with myself there.

In the end, myself won. The self that wanted me to forgo the blood-giving, that is. Despite the fact that I rarely pass up the opportunity to kill three birds with one stone (that may not have been the best phrase to use in conjunction with life-saving), my selfish self did have an incredibly valid and influential set of points.

Regardless, I may not have saved three lives through the giving of my very own [here is where I google a synonym for "blood" and come up with the result "mass murder"--you can fill in this blank as you please] but I was repeatedly told that I am a life-saver for loaning a poor soul a pen for about three seconds.

One life saved, two to go.

In other news, I found a most glorious quote from a most inspired man of God which falls splendidly in line with this whole life-saving business.

"The Savior taught His disciples, 'For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it' (Luke 9:24). 

I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish--and in effect save their lives."
-President Thomas S. Monson, "What Have I Done for Someone Today?"

How grateful I am to have living prophets and apostles to turn to for guidance in this day. What a blessing it is to have their words to add to the words of the prophets of old.

Well, I best be off to conquer the world, one college assignment at a time. Check back for January quotes--coming soon to a Dani Girl Days blog near you.

Happy Friday!

Carpe Diem

Bucket list numbers 14, 21.12, 42, 55, and 62 have been completed. I won't bore you with the details.

In other news, well, it would appear that I currently have no other news. But, never fear, Robin Williams as John Keating in Dead Poets Society has come to save the day.

"Carpe diem! Seize the day, boys--make your lives extraordinary!"

In addition to that lovely thought, I would like to send you here for some of the best words I have read in a very long time.

Be of Good Cheer

And now it came to pass that Samuel, the Lamanite, did prophesy a great many more things which cannot be written.

And behold, he said unto them: Behold, I give unto you a sign; for five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name.

And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day.

Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; for ye shall know of the rising of the sun and also of its setting; therefore they shall know of a surety that there shall be two days and a night; nevertheless the night shall not be darkened; and it shall be the night before he is born.

And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you.

And behold this is not all, there shall be many signs and wonders in heaven.

And it shall come to pass that ye shall all be amazed, and wonder, insomuch that ye shall fall to the earth.

And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall believe on the Son of God, the same shall have everlasting life.

And behold, thus hath the Lord commanded me, by his angel, that I should come and tell this thing unto you; yea, he hath commanded that I should prophesy these things unto you; yea, he hat said unto me: Cry unto this people, repent and prepare the way of the Lord.

(Helaman 14:1-9)

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And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, that thou art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

For with God nothing shall be impossible.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

(Luke 1:26-38)

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Now, as it is written, the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of Dvid, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

(Matthew 1:18-25)

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But there were some who began to say that the time was past for the words to be fulfilled, which were spoken by Samuel, the Lamanite.

And they began to rejoice over their brethren, saying: Behold the time is past, and the words of Samuel are not fulfilled; therefore, your joy and your faith concerning this thing hath been vain.

And it came to pass that they did make a great uproar throughout the land; and the people who believed began to be very sorrowful, lest by any means those things which had been spoken might not come to pass.

But behold, they did watch steadfastly for that day and that night and that day which should be as one day as if there were no night, that they might know that their faith had not been in vain.

Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions should be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the prophet.

Now it came to pass that when Nephi, the son of Nephi, saw this wickedness of his people, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful.

And it came to pass that he went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people, yea, those who were about to be destroyed because of their faith in the tradition of their fathers.

And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying:

Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.

Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son--of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given...

And it came to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given.

(3 Nephi 1:5-19)

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And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

(Luke 2:1-16)

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Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

(Matthew 2:7-12)

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There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus Christ.

Because He came to earth, we have a perfect example to follow. As we strive to become more like Him, we will have joy and happiness in our lives and peace each day of the year. It is His example which, if followed, stirs within us more kindness and love, more respect and concern for others. 

Because He came, there is meaning to our mortal existence.

Because He came, we know how to reach out to those in trouble or distress, wherever they may be.

Because He came, death has lost its sting, the grave its victory. We will live again because He came.

Because He came and paid for our sins, we have the opportunity to gain eternal life.

Because He came, we are gathered tonight to worship Him, in bonds of brotherhood and love.

May His precious Spirit be with us, and may He ever be the center of our celebrations and indeed of our very lives.

(President Thomas S. Monson, "Because He Came")

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Photo Credit

God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.

--The Living Christ

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

In 1897, and eight-year-old girl named Virginia O'Hanlon wrote to New York's Sun with the question, "Is there a Santa Claus?"

An unsigned editorial appeared in The Sun as a quick response. Printed September 21, 1897, this article has appeared "in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps" (Newseum). It has become one of the most reprinted newspaper editorials in history--in fact, newseum.org crowns it as the most reprinted newspaper editorial in history. Applauded for eloquent words and touching truth, it would do us all good to take the time to appreciate the answer The Sun gave to little Virginia over a century ago.

Photo Credit

Upon the Mountains

One of the greatest things about living in the mountains is that I get to enjoy them! While perusing my photographs of the past few months/years, I discovered that a large portion of them documented explorations in the hills large enough to be deemed mountains. Everything about them loudly proclaims that there is a God--for there surely is no other way something could exist that strikes the very deepest part of my soul with awe. The mountains are beautiful and I love them very much.

Technically, not a mountain.
But this hill is hard enough to count as one.

And, though I don't make a trip out of it as much as I should, I adore the fact that I can just go on a run in the mountains on a whim. I can start out fully intending to avoid all hills and, instead, get lost on a trail on a lovely frigid morning and find myself atop a mountain overlooking the most gorgeous view in attempt to find my way home. (Although, to be entirely honest, this seems to occur most often on runs with none other than the hilarious, adorable, and directionally challenged Kristen Oddette.)

And O how beautiful upon the mountains were their feet!

--Mosiah 15:15

Words cannot better describe the joy that consumes my entire being--my aching muscles, my burning lungs, my exhausted mind, and my wounded heart--when I find my feet upon the mountains. Oh, how beautiful. 

And I long to return.

Honest

Honest:

act with integrity and fairness

"Becoming people of integrity and honesty does not occur quickly or all at once, nor is it a matter of greater personal discipline. It is a change of disposition, a change of heart. And this gradual change of heart is one that the Lord accomplishes within us, through the power of His Spirit, in a line-upon-line fashion...

Remember that becoming people of integrity and honesty is not simply a matter of more personal determination, more grit, and more willpower; rather, it is accomplished through the enabling power of the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I believe the best test of our integrity and honesty is when we personally enforce in our own lives that which ultimately cannot be enforced."

--David A. Bednar, "Be Honest"