Calming the Storm

Where can I turn for peace? Where is my solace,

When other sources cease to make me whole?

When with a wounded heart, anger or malice,

I draw myself apart, searching my soul?

Where, when my aching grows--where when I languish?

Where, in my need to know, where can I run?

Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?

Who, who can understand? He, only One.

He answers privately--reaches my reaching,

In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.

Gentle the peace he finds for my beseeching.

Constant he is, and kind. Love without end.

Hymns, Where Can I Turn for Peace?, No. 129

Text: Emma Lou Thayne

These beautiful words are sung with a yearning spirit about them in many meetings across the world. In times of trial, in times of uncertainty, in times of heartache and sorrow, these words remind me of the patience and love of our Eternal Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, who suffered for us all. In the words of Isaiah, "Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53:4).

I am so grateful for my Savior, who truly did suffer for my every sorrow, who felt my every pain. I know that He truly can understand and comfort us if we will but come unto Him.

For Time and All Eternity

I mentioned below that my family ties can be perpetuated beyond the grave as a result of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I proclaim that I will be able to partake of these blessings as I have the singular opportunity of being sealed in the Holy Temple to my best friend, my advocate, my companion that I will be with forEVER! I love him so much-I can't imagine an eternity of happiness without the knowledge that I will be by his side. I am so grateful for the emphasis on the family the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has! For some heart-warming clips that demonstrate this so beautifully, see the link below:

http://www.mormon.org/homefront/0,15902,3865-1,00.html

My fiancee and I will be married for time and all eternity in the Mount Timpanogos LDS Temple on December 27, 2008. I am so grateful for this opportunity, and I look forward to an eternity of happiness with him.

The Common Link

Everything of value in my life has come as a result of the Gospel. Below is a small sampling of these good things and their significance.

Family: Through the blessings of the temple, my family can be together in this life and through the eternities. Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are able to resolve our differences and work together to create an unbreakable union.

Faith: Obviously, my religion is the Gospel. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I proclaim that it is TRUE! That faith gives me the courage to carry on, even when times are difficult or I feel discouraged.

Scriptures: The scriptures give me answers to problems or questions, strength when I am weary, and happiness when I am sad. As I turn to the scriptures and reflect on their teachings, I come to a greater recognition of our Heavenly Father's Plan and my role in it.

Prayer: I know that through prayer I can grow closer to my Father in Heaven. I have come to develop a more personal relationship with Him. Prayer is my opportunity to commune with the Creator of everything, the Master, the omnipotent, omniscient Being. And the miracle of it is that He knows me personally, and He knows you personally. Through Him we can do all.

School: My educational pursuits at Brigham Young University are paid for through means provided by the Church. The school's high academic standards and focus on learning are accomplished simultaneously with spiritual development. Being schooled here helps me see the link between the secular and the spiritual more clearly.

Friends: Everywhere I go in the world, I know I will have friends with the Gospel. Wards, branches, and stakes gather together with the knowledge that we are all brothers and sisters. They welcome me with open arms and hearts. Some of my closest friends have come as a result of the interactions we have at Church.

Music: My involvement with music began primarily as an attempt of my parents to train their children to learn to play the hymns of the Gospel. Because of that training, I have become involved with music in a way that has helped me mentally, emotionally, and financially. My favorite forms of music revolve around the Gospel.

The Temple: The temple is my reservoir of strength and security which shines as a beacon to all, beckoning them to come to the Lord. The purity of the temple gives me the cleansing strength to keep my priorities in line.

Beauty: My appreciation of the beauty that surrounds me in nature, in people, in life, is increased by the knowledge of the Hand that is behind it all. The Creator's love is manifest in His works of wonder.

Although only a few examples are discussed, it becomes clearly evident as I analyze my life that the Gospel brings happiness!

A Timeless Cure

We sang this song in a meeting yesterday, and I was touched by the beautiful message and felt compelled to draw the attention of others to it. Please enjoy.

Hymns, Be Thou Humble, no. 130

1. Be thou humble in thy weakness,
And the Lord thy God shall lead thee,
Shall lead thee by the hand and give thee answer to thy prayers.
Be thou humble in thy pleading,
And the Lord thy God shall bless thee,
Shall bless thee with a sweet and calm assurance that he cares.

2. Be thou humble in thy calling,
And the Lord thy God shall teach thee
To serve his children gladly with a pure and gentle love.
Be thou humble in thy longing,
And the Lord thy God shall take thee,
Shall take thee home at last to ever dwell with him above.

Text and music: Grietje Terburg Rowley, b. 1927. © 1985 IRI

Kirtland, the Amazing

And indeed, it is.

As I walked into the Kirtland temple, the rich history and magnificence of the edifice was apparent. As the tour guide ushered us through the building and briefly spoke of its history, I was filled with wonder. But one thing was quite minimal in the setting: the presence of the Spirit.

We continued our journey through Kirtland and went to the Visitor's Center in the LDS owned portion of the town. The second I stepped through the door, anticlimatic though it may have been, the Spirit's influence was palpable. This exquisite feeling of peace and joy that filled my heart was intensified within the small room of the School of the Prophets. It was there that we learned of visitations of both the Father and the Son in that humble setting. Upon learning of that fact, I determined that I should research it further to find another witness of it, seeing as how I had not heard of another appearance of God the Father to men on Earth after the First Vision. While searching LDS.org, I came across the following:

"Other Saints in Kirtland also witnessed visits of heavenly beings. Zebedee Coltrin, who had attended the School of the Prophets in Kirtland, later recalled that on 23 January 1833, during one of their meetings, those in attendance experienced a similar manifestation:

'A personage walked through the room from east to west, and Joseph asked if we saw him. I saw him and suppose the others did, and Joseph answered, ‘That is Jesus, the Son of God, our elder brother!’ Afterwards Joseph told us to resume our former position in prayer; which we did. Another person came through; He was surrounded as with a flame of fire. [We] experienced a sensation that it might destroy the tabernacle as it was a consuming fire of great brightness. The Prophet Joseph said this was the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I saw Him.'"

The beautiful city of Kirtland still holds the Spirit of God within its sacred places. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to experience it.

Well, I'm Not Rosemary's Granddaughter, But...

At the day's end my mama's still my biggest fan! (See Jessica Andrews' song, "Who I Am.")

This post is a shout out to my mom. She's not just my mom, she's my best friend! And I don't know where I would be without her positive influence and example. Whether I'm happy, sad, jaded, or upset, I can call and count on hanging up in a better mood than before.

She shares my joy, she shares my pain, and she encourages me every step of the way. I think she must have some kind of imbedded sixth sense that tells her when I need sympathy, when I need advice, when I need a simple, "You can do it!" or when I just need a funny story. My mom always believes in me. Hearing her compliments through my childhood and today, and gleaning hope from her words of encouragement inspires me to reach to fulfill my potential.

Being away from home has helped me come to a more acute realization of how valued this relationship is to me. I fondly awaken the memories of being flipped across the basement by a box of peaches, eating graham cracker and frosting sandwiches after school, going to early morning yard sales, reading Sweet Pickles Books, going to the Orange Show, singing all of the songs in the Scripture Scouts songbook while trying to stay in tune, reading the Friend, learning to make dinners, scrapbooking on holidays, playing games, and going, "sa-WIMMING, with our sa-WIMMING suits on!"

Thanks, Mom, for the love, support, encouragement, fun, spiritual nurturing, and sacrifices you have made in my behalf. Your faith and confidence in me has made me the person I am today. I love you!

"Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence"

http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=8501

And After Another Discouraging Test...

...I got home and sat in front of my computer with frustration. I had forgotten the feeling of doing so horribly on tests only to do wonderfully in the class due to the steep curve that's applied. It can still be discouraging, though! As I pondered my plight and questioned my intellectual ability, I opened an e-mail...one that comes every morning, yet for some reason had been postponed and came in the evening. It proved to be exactly what I needed.

The wisdom of President Dieter F. Uchtdorf was expressed in the quote that was e-mailed to me by LDS Gems:

"Wherever you live on this earth and whatever your life's situation may be, I testify to you that the gospel of Jesus Christ has the divine power to lift you to great heights from what appears at times to be an unbearable burden or weakness. The Lord knows your circumstances and your challenges. He said to Paul and to all of us, 'My grace is sufficient for thee.' And like Paul we can answer: 'My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me' (2 Corinthians 12:9)."As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we may claim the blessings promised in the covenants and the ordinances we received when we accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ."

Tender mercies.

Musings of a Blooming Physicist

I am scrambling to stay on top of my physics and calculus 2 homework while working and juggling my other responsibilities.

This isn't by any means an impossible task, nor is it as difficult as many others' situations.

However, seeing as how I am currently deeply immersed in the subject, I have reflected a great deal on the things that motivated me to begin my study of physics. Allow me to explain.

As part of my enrollment to the Elementary Education program, I was taking a Physical Science course with heavy emphasis on physics. As we studied the subject, it absolutely fascinated me. Concepts such as light, waves, particles, duality of matter, Newtonian motion, relationships in the universe, and others inspired a great deal of thought and consideration on my part. Yet still I persisted with my intention to study Education.

I listened thoughtfully to my Human Development professor deliver a discourse on how we should go after our passions, regardless of the boy:girl ratio, difficulty of the subject matter, or future intents.

One day at church I was talking to a dear friend of mine and he began talking with me about physics. I told him that I had even thought about changing my major to physics, which was met with a chuckle and a bit of teasing. Yet after talking with him, I considered the possibility more and more deeply. After much thought and prayer, I decided to visit the advisement center of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. Can you imagine my delight to see that I could indeed make a plan that would allow me to graduate at the same time as I would with Elementary Education? Physics graduates generally take approximately 5 years to graduate, yet I would still be able to graduate in less than 3! My mind raced around the idea for hours.

One day the University Devotional was given by Dr. Terry Ball, Dean of Religious Education here at Brigham Young University. His emphasis was on the fact that our BYU Education should follow the mission statement and be both intellectually enlarging and spiritually strengthening. I realized that the subject of physics did precisely that for me! It is definitely a challenge, yet as I learn about the order of this universe I gain a greater testimony and receive spiritual insights and revelation.

The spiritual confirmations continued as I went to volunteer at the MTC for a girl in my ward who teaches there. I was assigned the role of a student in dental assisting school who didn't know much about religion in general. As I fell into the role with the missionaries and they asked me about my life, I told them that I was really busy with school, but other than that everything was going well. As one humble missionary stood to offer a prayer, he received revelation that may have been unknown to him, but touched me deeply. He petitioned the Lord to bless me in my schooling, that as I encountered a lot of difficult decisions, I would be able to make the right ones and do well in whatever I pursued. What a blessing!

Richard G. Scott continued to add to my spiritual reservoir of educational confirmations as he gave another university devotional and mentioned his fascination with the subject of physics. I'm not sure precisely why I am so drawn to this area of study, but I am grateful for the extra pushes I was given to devote some exploration to it.

Reflections on Gratitude

"Mercies and blessings come in different forms--sometimes as hard things. Yet the Lord said, 'Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things' (D&C 59:7). All things means just that: good things, difficult things--not just some things. He has commanded us to be grateful because He knows being grateful will make us happy. This is another evidence of His love."

(Bonnie D. Parkin, "Gratitude: A Path to Happiness," Ensign, May 2007, 35)

Isn't it wonderful how the commandments we are given are for OUR benefit? The Lord certainly does not benefit from our worship of Him-we do! He is not some self-promoting Individual that asks all to worship Him in some kind of egotistical manner-it is a privilege to do so, and one that will bring us closer to Him and therefore benefit us. Moses 1:39 says, "...this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." We are God's work. We are His glory. And just as the commandment to worship Him is for our benefit, we are also subsequently benefited as we are grateful for ALL things that befall us. Commandments are derivatives of love-pure, perfect love.

Each Life That Touches Ours For Good

Last year I was introduced to a hymn that has quickly become a favorite of mine:

Each life that touches ours for good
Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord;
Thou sendest blessings from above
Thru words and deeds of those who love.

What greater gift dost thou bestow,
What greater goodness can we know
Than Christ-like friends, whose gentle ways
Strengthen our faith, enrich our days.

When such a friend from us departs,
We hold forever in our hearts
A sweet and hallowed memory,
Bringing us nearer, Lord, to thee.

For worthy friends whose lives proclaim
Devotion to the Savior's name,
Who bless our days with peace and love,
We praise thy goodness, Lord, above.

In this time of life filled with transitional periods of uncertainty, I am eternally grateful for those who have come into my life and left their encouraging mark. Thank you!

The Winds of the Spirit

Wind fascinates me.

Think about it. This unforseen force can carry massive objects great distances, wreak havoc, tear entire cities apart, and even carry people, "away in the whirlwind; and whither they [go] no man knoweth, save they know that they were carried away" (3 Nephi 8:16).

No one can see the wind, but we can feel it. Other things testify of it. We know the wind because we know of its effects.

This phenomena of nature is analogous with the way the Spirit works. We can not see the Spirit-we gain testimony through the way we feel. It is the things around us that bear witness of Christ. As we read in 2 Nephi 11:4, "all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of [Christ]."

I love the parallels of everyday events and Gospel principals. Every good thing truly does come from and testify of Jesus Christ.

In Light of Finals, Grades, Etc...

"Please don't nag yourself with thoughts of failure. Do not set goals far beyond your capacity to achieve. Simply do what you can do, in the best way you know, and the Lord will accept your effort."—Gordon B. Hinckley

Atmospheric Infatuation

I turned off the light in my room, opened my blinds, and viewed an amazing storm. The thunder was a constant roar in the distant, fluctuating in sound occasionally, but nearly always present. The lightning was blinding, and lit up the entire sky with its jagged streaks. The wind blew, the rain sprinkled, but the most amazing sight was the active atmosphere. I don't know what started my infatuation with the sky. But lately, my appreciation for the miracles I witness there has grown to an unexpressable wonder. It connects with every aspect of my mind. In an artistic sense, I appreciate the brilliance of the contrasting colors of a sunset or the momentary lighting effects the lightning brings. Scientifically, I marvel at the way something as ordinary as the earth revolving around the sun can create such incredible scenes. Psychologically, I realize that a few moments of staring at the ever changing sky can totally change my perspective, attitude, or level of stress. But perhaps the greatest wonder of all is what I experience in a spiritual sense. I don't understand how anyone can look into the heavens and proclaim that there is no God. I know He is there. And I hope someday I may have the opportunity to see how His matchless power can create such incredible things for us to witness here on earth. I don't think anyone on earth can truly understand how I feel when I stare at the stormy sky, the breathtaking sunset, the billowing clouds behind the mountains, the billions of tiny stars in the night sky, or the snowflakes tumbling down. No one can know what feelings the sky invokes in me until they experience it themselves and can relate. May you all take a few minutes to simply stare at the sky, the formations and colors therein, and feel the Spirit as I have been able to.