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.