9.21.2010
8.15.2010
Day 11 & 12, save yourselves!
"The Book of Mormon makes it clear that we never will dominate by numbers. But we have the power of the priesthood...We can and in due time certainly will influence all of humanity. It will be known who we are and why we are. It might seem hopeless; it is monumentally difficult; but it is not only possible but certain that we will win the battle against Satan." -Pres. Boyd K. Packer
On Thursday, July 15, the day after the Big Apple, we had to change our entire demeanor. We needed to prepare to have a much different spirit than what we had in the big city. Harmony, Pennsylvania was our destination, and in the midst of Pennsylvania is a river. On the banks of this very river is where the Aaronic Priesthood was restored. "Events and activities of the Prophet Joseph Smith's years along the Susquehanna [river] helped mold his life and the future of the Church."
Day 9, 10, I love men!
"...I was reminded that despite our best intentions and outward show, sometimes life is just plain hard. Through the process, the pipes of our souls occasionally get clogged up with muck—with mistakes, with heartache, with bitterness, with unforgiving. We don’t have to hide the “dirty basements” of our souls from Christ—He already knows what’s there. The Savior has given us the cleansing power of the Atonement, a gift that is available to each of us if we but humble ourselves—and trust our Savior enough—to take advantage of it. He is anxiously waiting for us to invite Him to help." -Heidi Camp
Sadly and reluctantly we had to depart from the peaceful dome of Sharon, Vermont. We traveled over to Boston and visited the Boston temple. Pictures began to be taken as the beauty of the Lord's house shone in the sun. Someone who I thought was my newly made friend asked me to take pictures of him doing random things like getting the Angel Moroni between his open mouth and his water bottle. But to much dissatisfaction, that so called "friend" couldn't even remember my name! I quit the job as photographer and walked away. My reaction, broke my poor friend's heart. He didn't mean to forget my name; we all experience brain voids at some point or another. As he continued to apologize to me over and over again, I only wanted to forgive. Especially owing to the fact that I couldn't leave somebody that fun-loving, appearing so glum. And I'm more than glad I did forgive him because we are now great friends; he is a joy to talk to and hang out with. Not only that, he is proud of the way he is, he doesn't care what others think, and his compliments are pure. He truly cares about people and how they feel, yet he will always be a little kid at heart and I know that I could have fun doing almost anything with him because he always seems to keep things interesting. The next morning, on Wednesday-July 14th, me and one of my roommates, along with a couple of guy friends, woke up extra early so we could go for a run. It had rained during the night and there was still a light mist in the air. The trees were so green and the beauty that surrounded us made me so grateful for waking up earlier to come and be absorbed by the magnificence of the natural beauty of the Earth. We noticed a path behind our hotel and headed through some weeds towards it; but blocking our course was a muddy river. We attempted to find a way around, but to no success. The conclusion was made that the only way across, was by going through it. The other three all crossed the river drenched from the water and mud. I started to run towards the river, and that final step before wading in, my shoe got stuck in the mud and my foot flew out. I hopped back towards my shoe and tied it on tighter. As I went at the river again, I took my first step in...and instantly sunk. I sunk into the mud past my knee, and was stuck. Everybody grabbed hands and pulled me out of the sludge. We continued on our jog, with legs covered in muck. It was a perfect morning though for running; there was a cool breeze, and light rain off and on. But it was still warm enough to wear shorts. At the conclusion of our run, we had to slip off our shoes before entering the hotel as to not trudge in a bunch of mud. Many attempts were made at washing the mud out of our shoes; all attempts were made in vain. Our tennis shoes were now ruined. But for me, with how good I felt after the run, with the weather we ran in, and the beauty of Poughkeepsie, NY, it was worth sacrificing a pair of shoes.
The rest of that day was spent in New York City, after much amusement in the hotel that morning as Bro. Eliason impersonated the girls on drill teams. Lindsey and I shopped and ventured out on our own that day; and there was definitely a different kind of spirit that was felt. I didn't like it one bit. As much as I love the Big Apple, it was hard to enjoy it after our many bouts of spirituality. I wanted to be back in the safety of the spirit. But I did considerably enjoy seeing The Lion King on Broadway. It was especially enjoyable sitting next to the one day famous, Jonny Walker [who I will also someday marry] with his enormous amount of excitement. Oh how I love Lion King! I could watch that movie everyday and I would never find myself mad "as a hippo with a hernia."
8.14.2010
Day 7, 8, who lays them straight?
"I testify that the work of the Prophet Joseph Smith is the Savior’s work. In the Lord’s service the path is not always easy. It often requires sacrifices, and we will likely experience adversity. But in serving Him, we discover that His hand is truly over us. So it was for the Prophet Joseph Smith and all who helped usher in the restored gospel. So it is and will be for us." -Robert D. Hales
Sunday, July 11 was a wonderful, spiritual, tremendously great day all around. We started off our day at the Palmyra ward. There were so many visitors for the pageant that some of the young men from our group helped with the Sacrament. As I sat there in the chapel/overflow, I watched our young men pass the Sacrament. It was so powerful to know that these men were worthy enough to do this work, one of the most simple, yet important functions of our church. After church we then drove over to the entrance to the Sacred Grove. Evan, Josie, Jaron, and myself had been putting together a song to sing this day in the Sacred Grove. With the vast amount of people that were visiting the Grove that day, we decided to sing the song in the bus for everyone. The song we sang was "In Quiet Grove" and we hoped that we could set the mood with a song that spoke of what once occurred at this very sacred place. And how sacred it truly was! I walked among those trees in peaceful silence, just soaking in the beauty of that place. The Father and the Son truly visited that place and you can feel such a sweet spirit in there. Bro. Pello, one of the men in charge, talked beforehand about how birds reside in sacred places and I find that to be true, especially as I sat and listened to the chirping of the birds. There is such a wonderful peace and spirit that resides in the Sacred Grove that can just not be duplicated. I would love to live in the countryside of New York or Illinois and be closer to all of these significant church sites. I feel like I would be able to appreciate the true beauty of the Earth better.
I didn't have any huge outpourings of the spirit as I sat in the grove and walked about its paths, but I still had such a sweet experience there just marinating in the peace of that place. I've never usually been the kind who has profound experiences and big outpourings of the spirit but I'm okay with that. As long as I have the Spirit with me continually, I'm never missing out on anything. I love this church and gospel and hope that myself and my future generations will hold fast to the rod and stay strong and endure to the end so we can live eternally together in the Celestial Kingdom with our Father in Heaven.
Each individual was invited to fast that morning for the experience that they would have in the Sacred Grove; along with that fast, I fasted for a few other specific things, one including being able to share the Gospel. That afternoon, we ended our fast at a buffet in Rochester, NY. I wasn't in a very good mood entering the building, for a few different reasons. One being that I had to pee extremely bad but I had to wait like 30 minutes in line to be seated first before I could use the restroom, another was I had a huge zit on my face that I wanted to check and cover up so I could interact with a boy I was interested in, and three because I hadn't eaten all day. I know, I was obviously being dramatic, but sometimes that happens. After I had gone to the restroom and gotten some food in me, I went back to the restroom to wash my hands. I was feeling guilty about my attitude earlier and said a prayer in my heart for forgiveness and help to be happier. As I was in the bathroom, I came across a pregnant lady with a baby. She was changing her young baby's diaper and I complimented her on her baby's beauty. She thanked me as she set her baby back into her seat. She struggled trying to carry that seat with her big belly and getting the door open to exit; I recognized the situation as an opportunity to serve. I offered to carry her baby for her and lugged that baby and seat over to their table. That tiny act of service then transformed my whole mood. Helping somebody else, helped myself, and made me bubbly and happy. I then bounced around passing out mints to everybody in Heritage Tours, because who doesn't love a good mint after a meal. And as I made my way back to my table, found my seat stolen by an extremely tall man. ;) But I find that that friend of mine, may have been inspired to steal my seat, or at least I am tremendously grateful he did. I sat in his old seat and started conversing with some others on our tour. As we were talking, a lady in the booth next to us, sitting with her husband and young son, said she had a question for us. We asked what it was and she questioned, "Is everybody from Utah really tall?" We all just laughed and giggled as we replied, "Not exactly." We continued to laugh as we peeked over at the young friend who stole my seat. I asked how she knew we were from Utah and she explained that she had asked somebody as we entered the building where we were all from. I then explained why we were here, telling her and her husband we were with the LDS church. After saying that, I asked them if they knew much about our faith, which they replied they did. I asked what they had heard, knowing well that there are many rumors that go on about our religion that may or may not be true. At that point they pointed out polygamy. I explained to them that polygamy was not a part of our religion, but a part of a religion that we tend to get mixed up with. I told them that that was a practice that was used in our religion in the past, but only for a small amount of time and then was commanded to be discontinued. At that point, they then asked what we do believe in. I showed them a picture of the Book of Mormon on a pass-a-long card I had on hand and explained that we do believe in Christ and I talked about the Book of Mormon. As I was asking those in my booth if they had a Book of Mormon for me to give to them, a prepared young man from our tour in the booth on the other side of the family pulled one out and handed it to them. The conversation was then continued as I bore my testimony about the book and the truthfulness of it and by just reading it your life will be blessed. I told them about the scripture in Moroni and about praying to know if the things wherein were true. They continued to ask me questions which I answered to the best of my knowledge. I know that the spirit was there with us during that conversation and the family, especially the mother, were really interested in knowing more. They were Christians so they already believed in Christ and the Bible and I invited them to speak with the missionaries. They loved the idea and gave me their names and address for me to give to the missionaries so they could come visit them. It was such a remarkable experience, speaking with them for so long about the gospel and being able to feel of the spirit in this old country buffet, in this small little town in New York. I am so grateful for that experience and being able to share the gospel with them. There was so much that played into that, and I know that the Lord's hand took part in making the whole thing happen.
The following day, was another one of my most favorite days because we visited Sharon, Vermont that day. In Sharon, VT we visited the birthplace of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Not only was that one of my favorite places, but the man in charge of our tour, Bro. Eliason, said that was his favorite place. The site in Sharon, up in the mountains, is one of the most gorgeous and peaceful places you could ever visit. It's the kind of spirit and peace that I can't even begin to describe. I can't describe any of my experiences there in words, all I can say is that I did have some huge outpourings of the spirit there as we partook of a special fireside that Bro. Eliason put together for us in the missionarie's home there by the visitor's center. It was such an amazing experience and I know that the spirit of Joseph was also there with us during that wonderful fireside. After the fireside, we sang our commitment song. And after all the crying that already took place for me, I didn't find myself crying at all during that song; the entire time as we sang, I just found myself immersed in so much joy and happiness. I couldn't hold myself back from smiling, and I smiled so huge that it was almost embarrassing. But I will never forget the experience I had there in Sharon, Vermont and only dream of one day, with my husband, being the older missionary couple that lives in that home and serves the Lord in such a spiritual, sacred place.
I didn't have any huge outpourings of the spirit as I sat in the grove and walked about its paths, but I still had such a sweet experience there just marinating in the peace of that place. I've never usually been the kind who has profound experiences and big outpourings of the spirit but I'm okay with that. As long as I have the Spirit with me continually, I'm never missing out on anything. I love this church and gospel and hope that myself and my future generations will hold fast to the rod and stay strong and endure to the end so we can live eternally together in the Celestial Kingdom with our Father in Heaven.
Each individual was invited to fast that morning for the experience that they would have in the Sacred Grove; along with that fast, I fasted for a few other specific things, one including being able to share the Gospel. That afternoon, we ended our fast at a buffet in Rochester, NY. I wasn't in a very good mood entering the building, for a few different reasons. One being that I had to pee extremely bad but I had to wait like 30 minutes in line to be seated first before I could use the restroom, another was I had a huge zit on my face that I wanted to check and cover up so I could interact with a boy I was interested in, and three because I hadn't eaten all day. I know, I was obviously being dramatic, but sometimes that happens. After I had gone to the restroom and gotten some food in me, I went back to the restroom to wash my hands. I was feeling guilty about my attitude earlier and said a prayer in my heart for forgiveness and help to be happier. As I was in the bathroom, I came across a pregnant lady with a baby. She was changing her young baby's diaper and I complimented her on her baby's beauty. She thanked me as she set her baby back into her seat. She struggled trying to carry that seat with her big belly and getting the door open to exit; I recognized the situation as an opportunity to serve. I offered to carry her baby for her and lugged that baby and seat over to their table. That tiny act of service then transformed my whole mood. Helping somebody else, helped myself, and made me bubbly and happy. I then bounced around passing out mints to everybody in Heritage Tours, because who doesn't love a good mint after a meal. And as I made my way back to my table, found my seat stolen by an extremely tall man. ;) But I find that that friend of mine, may have been inspired to steal my seat, or at least I am tremendously grateful he did. I sat in his old seat and started conversing with some others on our tour. As we were talking, a lady in the booth next to us, sitting with her husband and young son, said she had a question for us. We asked what it was and she questioned, "Is everybody from Utah really tall?" We all just laughed and giggled as we replied, "Not exactly." We continued to laugh as we peeked over at the young friend who stole my seat. I asked how she knew we were from Utah and she explained that she had asked somebody as we entered the building where we were all from. I then explained why we were here, telling her and her husband we were with the LDS church. After saying that, I asked them if they knew much about our faith, which they replied they did. I asked what they had heard, knowing well that there are many rumors that go on about our religion that may or may not be true. At that point they pointed out polygamy. I explained to them that polygamy was not a part of our religion, but a part of a religion that we tend to get mixed up with. I told them that that was a practice that was used in our religion in the past, but only for a small amount of time and then was commanded to be discontinued. At that point, they then asked what we do believe in. I showed them a picture of the Book of Mormon on a pass-a-long card I had on hand and explained that we do believe in Christ and I talked about the Book of Mormon. As I was asking those in my booth if they had a Book of Mormon for me to give to them, a prepared young man from our tour in the booth on the other side of the family pulled one out and handed it to them. The conversation was then continued as I bore my testimony about the book and the truthfulness of it and by just reading it your life will be blessed. I told them about the scripture in Moroni and about praying to know if the things wherein were true. They continued to ask me questions which I answered to the best of my knowledge. I know that the spirit was there with us during that conversation and the family, especially the mother, were really interested in knowing more. They were Christians so they already believed in Christ and the Bible and I invited them to speak with the missionaries. They loved the idea and gave me their names and address for me to give to the missionaries so they could come visit them. It was such a remarkable experience, speaking with them for so long about the gospel and being able to feel of the spirit in this old country buffet, in this small little town in New York. I am so grateful for that experience and being able to share the gospel with them. There was so much that played into that, and I know that the Lord's hand took part in making the whole thing happen.
The following day, was another one of my most favorite days because we visited Sharon, Vermont that day. In Sharon, VT we visited the birthplace of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Not only was that one of my favorite places, but the man in charge of our tour, Bro. Eliason, said that was his favorite place. The site in Sharon, up in the mountains, is one of the most gorgeous and peaceful places you could ever visit. It's the kind of spirit and peace that I can't even begin to describe. I can't describe any of my experiences there in words, all I can say is that I did have some huge outpourings of the spirit there as we partook of a special fireside that Bro. Eliason put together for us in the missionarie's home there by the visitor's center. It was such an amazing experience and I know that the spirit of Joseph was also there with us during that wonderful fireside. After the fireside, we sang our commitment song. And after all the crying that already took place for me, I didn't find myself crying at all during that song; the entire time as we sang, I just found myself immersed in so much joy and happiness. I couldn't hold myself back from smiling, and I smiled so huge that it was almost embarrassing. But I will never forget the experience I had there in Sharon, Vermont and only dream of one day, with my husband, being the older missionary couple that lives in that home and serves the Lord in such a spiritual, sacred place.
Day 5 & 6, let's play pick up sticks!
"If we are constantly aware of the seeds of divinity in us, it will help us rise above earthly challenges and difficulties. Brigham Young said: “When I look upon the faces of intelligent beings I look upon the image of the God I serve. There are none but what have a certain portion of divinity within them; and though we are clothed with bodies which are in the image of our God, yet this mortality shrinks before that portion of divinity which we inherit from our Father.” Being aware of our divine heritage will help men[and women] young and old to grow and magnify the divinity which is within them and within all of us." -James E. Faust
Friday, July 9, we visited the Kirtland Temple, which was a really neat experience. We first went to the visitor's center for the temple (not owned or run by the LDS church) and as I walked around reading some of the different things they had there about them acquiring the temple I suddenly felt really sick. But it didn't feel like an average sickness...it was the strangest thing; I felt just horrible though and I couldn't stay in that room anymore. I went into the bathroom and just washed my hands (because I didn't really know what else to do). I don't really understand what happened but I really just didn't have the best feeling, it was like something (or someone) was messing with me. I decided to just go and sit on one of the benches and wait while everybody else toured the visitors center. I sat and said a prayer in my heart that if it was Satan who was messing with me, that the Lord would make him stop. After watching a short movie at the visitor's center, we entered into the temple. It was a really interesting experience being in there, because I could feel the spirit and that this was definitely a House of the Lord...but there was something missing. After the temple, we then went to the LDS visitor's center and toured the Newel K. Whitney Store and other sites which I truly enjoyed and just imagined living in those times, and marveled at what it would have been like.
The best part of that day took place at the Isaac Morley farm, which we went to afterwards. The Morley farm was one of my absolute favorite spots that we visited on our 19 day tour. It was an unbelievable experience as we walked up the beautiful path into the trees and gorgeous wooded area. As we were let to wander on our own, I just stood and marveled at the true beauty of this Earth. I truly wish that people really appreciated how beautiful and tremendous it is and that only someone incredible could create something this INCREDIBLE. I took off my shoes and walked down the path. I walked past one of the older, couple missionaries; as I was walking past they stopped and asked me why all of us youth had our shoes off. I replied that at the beginning of our tour, one of the wonderful men in charge expressed a thought of his. The thought originated from the scripture in Exodus 3:5 when God is talking to Moses and declares, "...put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." He enlightened us on how holy and sacred ground deserves to be treated with a certain respect. Now when he was explaining this, he wasn't trying to push his opinion on us; he was only letting us know of his opinion. But the majority of us youth took that to heart and I know that I truly came to believe it. So whenever I am to come upon sacred grounds, I remove the shoes from off my feet. When I explained this to the missionaries, the brother said, "If that is the reasoning behind why you guys do it, then I commend you." I'm just so grateful I was able to go on Heritage Tours and that my mom made me go. I believe that my mom was inspired and knew that I needed to go on that tour and the kind of spiritual experiences I would have. I prayed many, many times on that tour that I would be able to take the spirit that I felt on that tour home with me. And it's been hard...but I continue to pray that I can have that spirit and take that spirit with me to college. I hope that I can be an advocate of Christ and be an example to everyone. One of my biggest hopes is that when people "know me, they will want to know Him also."
The next day, we went to Niagara Falls and it was so much fun! It was definitely different not driving and being super, super spiritual. Me and my best friend Lindsey had a great time on top of the boat as we did the Maid of Mists. After the water spraying fest, me, Lindsey, and Evan went exploring. I genuinely had been wanting to talk to somebody about the church. I was feeling so much joy and I knew how much blessings and joy was found in our religion that how could I not share it! So me and Evan devised a plan to ask somebody to take our picture and then casually bring up the church after that. We implemented our plan and asked an elderly couple walking past to take a picture of us. As they did so we asked where they were from and started a friendly conversation. They then asked us if we were on our honeymoon....HAHAHAHA. Oh, it was hilarious. I was able to bring up the church for a moment when we explained that we were not on our honeymoon but a type of church history tour for graduated seniors. The topic of religion didn't go far as the couple changed the topic to another subject of their interest. The conversation then faded as the couple then walked away. I was distraught. I sincerely wanted to share the Gospel. But "The lessons of the past … prepare us to face the challenges of the future." [L. Tom Perry]
After Niagara Falls, we visited Fayette, NY, the site of the Organization of the Church on April 6, 1830. And that evening we attended the "Grand Daddy of all the pageants in the Church", the Hill Cumorah pageant.
The best part of that day took place at the Isaac Morley farm, which we went to afterwards. The Morley farm was one of my absolute favorite spots that we visited on our 19 day tour. It was an unbelievable experience as we walked up the beautiful path into the trees and gorgeous wooded area. As we were let to wander on our own, I just stood and marveled at the true beauty of this Earth. I truly wish that people really appreciated how beautiful and tremendous it is and that only someone incredible could create something this INCREDIBLE. I took off my shoes and walked down the path. I walked past one of the older, couple missionaries; as I was walking past they stopped and asked me why all of us youth had our shoes off. I replied that at the beginning of our tour, one of the wonderful men in charge expressed a thought of his. The thought originated from the scripture in Exodus 3:5 when God is talking to Moses and declares, "...put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." He enlightened us on how holy and sacred ground deserves to be treated with a certain respect. Now when he was explaining this, he wasn't trying to push his opinion on us; he was only letting us know of his opinion. But the majority of us youth took that to heart and I know that I truly came to believe it. So whenever I am to come upon sacred grounds, I remove the shoes from off my feet. When I explained this to the missionaries, the brother said, "If that is the reasoning behind why you guys do it, then I commend you." I'm just so grateful I was able to go on Heritage Tours and that my mom made me go. I believe that my mom was inspired and knew that I needed to go on that tour and the kind of spiritual experiences I would have. I prayed many, many times on that tour that I would be able to take the spirit that I felt on that tour home with me. And it's been hard...but I continue to pray that I can have that spirit and take that spirit with me to college. I hope that I can be an advocate of Christ and be an example to everyone. One of my biggest hopes is that when people "know me, they will want to know Him also."
The next day, we went to Niagara Falls and it was so much fun! It was definitely different not driving and being super, super spiritual. Me and my best friend Lindsey had a great time on top of the boat as we did the Maid of Mists. After the water spraying fest, me, Lindsey, and Evan went exploring. I genuinely had been wanting to talk to somebody about the church. I was feeling so much joy and I knew how much blessings and joy was found in our religion that how could I not share it! So me and Evan devised a plan to ask somebody to take our picture and then casually bring up the church after that. We implemented our plan and asked an elderly couple walking past to take a picture of us. As they did so we asked where they were from and started a friendly conversation. They then asked us if we were on our honeymoon....HAHAHAHA. Oh, it was hilarious. I was able to bring up the church for a moment when we explained that we were not on our honeymoon but a type of church history tour for graduated seniors. The topic of religion didn't go far as the couple changed the topic to another subject of their interest. The conversation then faded as the couple then walked away. I was distraught. I sincerely wanted to share the Gospel. But "The lessons of the past … prepare us to face the challenges of the future." [L. Tom Perry]
After Niagara Falls, we visited Fayette, NY, the site of the Organization of the Church on April 6, 1830. And that evening we attended the "Grand Daddy of all the pageants in the Church", the Hill Cumorah pageant.
8.11.2010
Day 3, 4, give to the poor :)
How small would be the mote in our brother’s eye—how equitable our opinions—if always we sought first to remove the beam that is in our own! Mercy means learning to love others more than we love ourselves—and so does justice. They guide us to turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, and render to others more than they justly deserve—because we love them. “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged,”
The third day of Heritage Tours was mainly driving because we had a lot of traveling to do. We crossed Iowa, Illinois, and stayed in Indiana that night. July 8, the fourth day of our journey, we "began our walk in the footsteps of the Prophet Joseph Smith". We visited the John Johnson home, and the spirit felt there was extremely strong. Many important events occurred there that make that site a very sacred place. And one of the greatest events that occurred there would be the revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith - Section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants. That revelation was given in one of the upper rooms of the John Johnson home and the Father and the Son appeared to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon in that room, at that time.
There are many occasions, when people visit incredibly sacred sites, that people expect some sort of huge, profound, spiritual experience. I was this way once. But those profound experiences don't always occur. Majority of the time, the sacredness is emanated through serenity and peace; and by just feeling the peace that overwhelms a sacred place should be profound enough. Most people don't always see it that way, sometimes peace isn't enough, and they expect tears. Crying isn't what makes the scene so memorable, it's "the way you feel" that makes something worth remembering, or even worth crying over. Richard G. Scott said, "A testimony is fortified by spiritual impressions that confirm the validity of a teaching, of a righteous act. Often such guidance is accompanied by powerful emotions that bring tears to the eyes and make it difficult to speak. But a testimony is not emotion. It is the very essence of character woven from threads born of countless correct decisions. A strong testimony gives peace, comfort, and assurance." So again, just because you don't cry, doesn't mean it isn't a spiritual experience and worth remembering. I did shed many tears at this site (not as many as others) and there were other sites where I may have shed the most of anyone, but there were also sites where I didn't even come close to crying. The lack of tears, doesn't change the sacredness of the place, or the spirit that is felt there. I came to an understanding that peace is a form of the spirit. Just feeling peace, is profound enough for me now.
At the conclusion of our tour of the home, we gathered at the front of the house. The same porch where Joseph Smith preached after being tarred and feathered the night before. The same tar and feathering that caused the death of one of his sons. Out on the lawn, the spirit was felt very strongly among us youth and leaders as experiences were shared and tears were shed. The spirit grew even stronger as we began to sing our commitment song, "As Sisters in Zion, We'll Bring the World His Truth". As I stood there singing, I imagined the Prophet Joseph Smith standing out on that porch and how proud and happy he would be as he stood and saw the power of the youth in the church today. I can only imagine the joy he'd feel as he saw the effects of his efforts, and that they were not in vain. Also as I stood there, I looked around at the close friends I would come to make, and came to notice someone in particular; someone who had already been my friend. This person was somebody of extreme importance to me, somebody who I used to be very close to in the past. Then problems emerged. This old friend of mine made some decisions and mistakes that I didn't see fit. My best friend at the time of these decisions, spread rumors about the friend that made it hard for me not to judge. As I stood down the row from that old comrade, I came to realize the most unpleasant mistake I had made those few years past. By making those judgments, I lost a close friend. By making those judgments, I brought myself into condescension. By making those judgments, I lost the opportunity for many remarkable memories. The thing I found the most difficult to understand, was how I made those judgments. Because I've always prided myself in being understanding and not judging people for their mistakes. I always believed that people's mistakes are a part of their past and none of my business. The mistakes of people are a part of a business between them and the judgement of God. I have a close friend now, who made some very big mistakes that landed him in prison, but I took no judgment there. I actually saw it more as a spiritual experience when he got out and had turned his entire life around, and as he is now preparing to serve a mission. The most memorable of experiences I have had with him, is attending church with him his first time back. With that attendance, I was able to be a witness of him partaking of the sacrament again for the first time in a very long time. It's just incredible to see the power of Christ's Atonement; that no matter what you've done, there is always a way back. God is merciful, He wants you to return to Him, and all you have to do is trust in Him. I shared that story, and a new, good friend of mine from Heritage Tours pointed out to me about how much hope that story brings. It shows how there is always hope. No matter how far down you have fallen, there's always a way up, it's just finding it and fending your way up that is the hard part. But once you get up there, it will all be worth it.
As I stared down the row to my old friend, I just felt an enormous amount of love for him. I knew that the judgments I made were wrong, and I felt extremely guilty. But as I stood there, I could feel so much love for this friend that it only made me imagine how much our Father in Heaven loves us. He loves us so much, no matter what we've done. And I didn't care at all about anything this old friend of mine had done, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that I loved him, and that our Father in Heaven loved him, and I wanted to be best friends with him again. I really can't explain the kind of love I acquired for this friend, but it's a bigger love than I have ever experienced before. It's strictly friendly, and he probably doesn't feel the same way back but that's probably because he didn't have the same kind of experience as I did. I don't need any love in return, I'm just so glad that we are friends again; even if we never hang out I will still think of him as one of my very good friends. And the immense amount of love I have for him will never, ever diminish in any way. I'm still angry with myself for the loss of that friendship for the last few years, but since I can't go back in time, all I can do is make best of the time I have now. And if he knows that I'm referring to him, I hope he knows how much I truly love him and the enormous amount of respect I have for him. He is such an example to me and I hope that I can have a son just like him one day. The one positively bitter thing about love, is you can feel so much love at times that it makes you bawl. I am pretty sure that I have shed the most tears of love, and regret, and love for this friend than any other friend. I hope he doesn't feel bad in any way for those tears I've shed, those tears have only helped strengthen my love for him. I don't want to come off creepy in any manner; I'm just trying my best to describe what I am feeling. I never thought that "What Kinda Car" would ever make me cry, until it flooded back so many fond memories of this friend that I couldn't help myself. I feel like I have advanced a little and come slightly closer to apprehending how much our Savior and Father in Heaven love us, and hope that I can continue to progress in that direction.
"Mistakes of the past don't define us, they refine us." -Let it Begin from EFY 2010 Soundtrack
There are many occasions, when people visit incredibly sacred sites, that people expect some sort of huge, profound, spiritual experience. I was this way once. But those profound experiences don't always occur. Majority of the time, the sacredness is emanated through serenity and peace; and by just feeling the peace that overwhelms a sacred place should be profound enough. Most people don't always see it that way, sometimes peace isn't enough, and they expect tears. Crying isn't what makes the scene so memorable, it's "the way you feel" that makes something worth remembering, or even worth crying over. Richard G. Scott said, "A testimony is fortified by spiritual impressions that confirm the validity of a teaching, of a righteous act. Often such guidance is accompanied by powerful emotions that bring tears to the eyes and make it difficult to speak. But a testimony is not emotion. It is the very essence of character woven from threads born of countless correct decisions. A strong testimony gives peace, comfort, and assurance." So again, just because you don't cry, doesn't mean it isn't a spiritual experience and worth remembering. I did shed many tears at this site (not as many as others) and there were other sites where I may have shed the most of anyone, but there were also sites where I didn't even come close to crying. The lack of tears, doesn't change the sacredness of the place, or the spirit that is felt there. I came to an understanding that peace is a form of the spirit. Just feeling peace, is profound enough for me now.
At the conclusion of our tour of the home, we gathered at the front of the house. The same porch where Joseph Smith preached after being tarred and feathered the night before. The same tar and feathering that caused the death of one of his sons. Out on the lawn, the spirit was felt very strongly among us youth and leaders as experiences were shared and tears were shed. The spirit grew even stronger as we began to sing our commitment song, "As Sisters in Zion, We'll Bring the World His Truth". As I stood there singing, I imagined the Prophet Joseph Smith standing out on that porch and how proud and happy he would be as he stood and saw the power of the youth in the church today. I can only imagine the joy he'd feel as he saw the effects of his efforts, and that they were not in vain. Also as I stood there, I looked around at the close friends I would come to make, and came to notice someone in particular; someone who had already been my friend. This person was somebody of extreme importance to me, somebody who I used to be very close to in the past. Then problems emerged. This old friend of mine made some decisions and mistakes that I didn't see fit. My best friend at the time of these decisions, spread rumors about the friend that made it hard for me not to judge. As I stood down the row from that old comrade, I came to realize the most unpleasant mistake I had made those few years past. By making those judgments, I lost a close friend. By making those judgments, I brought myself into condescension. By making those judgments, I lost the opportunity for many remarkable memories. The thing I found the most difficult to understand, was how I made those judgments. Because I've always prided myself in being understanding and not judging people for their mistakes. I always believed that people's mistakes are a part of their past and none of my business. The mistakes of people are a part of a business between them and the judgement of God. I have a close friend now, who made some very big mistakes that landed him in prison, but I took no judgment there. I actually saw it more as a spiritual experience when he got out and had turned his entire life around, and as he is now preparing to serve a mission. The most memorable of experiences I have had with him, is attending church with him his first time back. With that attendance, I was able to be a witness of him partaking of the sacrament again for the first time in a very long time. It's just incredible to see the power of Christ's Atonement; that no matter what you've done, there is always a way back. God is merciful, He wants you to return to Him, and all you have to do is trust in Him. I shared that story, and a new, good friend of mine from Heritage Tours pointed out to me about how much hope that story brings. It shows how there is always hope. No matter how far down you have fallen, there's always a way up, it's just finding it and fending your way up that is the hard part. But once you get up there, it will all be worth it.
As I stared down the row to my old friend, I just felt an enormous amount of love for him. I knew that the judgments I made were wrong, and I felt extremely guilty. But as I stood there, I could feel so much love for this friend that it only made me imagine how much our Father in Heaven loves us. He loves us so much, no matter what we've done. And I didn't care at all about anything this old friend of mine had done, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that I loved him, and that our Father in Heaven loved him, and I wanted to be best friends with him again. I really can't explain the kind of love I acquired for this friend, but it's a bigger love than I have ever experienced before. It's strictly friendly, and he probably doesn't feel the same way back but that's probably because he didn't have the same kind of experience as I did. I don't need any love in return, I'm just so glad that we are friends again; even if we never hang out I will still think of him as one of my very good friends. And the immense amount of love I have for him will never, ever diminish in any way. I'm still angry with myself for the loss of that friendship for the last few years, but since I can't go back in time, all I can do is make best of the time I have now. And if he knows that I'm referring to him, I hope he knows how much I truly love him and the enormous amount of respect I have for him. He is such an example to me and I hope that I can have a son just like him one day. The one positively bitter thing about love, is you can feel so much love at times that it makes you bawl. I am pretty sure that I have shed the most tears of love, and regret, and love for this friend than any other friend. I hope he doesn't feel bad in any way for those tears I've shed, those tears have only helped strengthen my love for him. I don't want to come off creepy in any manner; I'm just trying my best to describe what I am feeling. I never thought that "What Kinda Car" would ever make me cry, until it flooded back so many fond memories of this friend that I couldn't help myself. I feel like I have advanced a little and come slightly closer to apprehending how much our Savior and Father in Heaven love us, and hope that I can continue to progress in that direction.
"Mistakes of the past don't define us, they refine us." -Let it Begin from EFY 2010 Soundtrack
8.04.2010
Heritage Tours: Day 1,2, buckle my shoe.
"It is important the youth know who they are—sons and daughters of God. It is important that they know what they are trying to achieve in life—that is, to return back into the presence of their Heavenly Father with their families." -Elder Robert D. Hales
I left on Heritage Tours on the 5th of July after an all-nighter, my body never even entering a bed. Heritage Tours is an LDS Church History and American Heritage Tour based out of Utah County, and is definitely an incredible "experience in travel". I started out on this trip not excited in the least bit. I hate driving, especially for long periods of time, I get car sick, and I was not excited to drive for hours and hours on a bus, or van. It just so happens that the driving became one of my favorite parts. Even in the beginning I realized that the driving wasn't so bad. We stopped every two hours for at least a 20 minute rest break, or an hour if it was lunch or dinner. I heard that we were going to be singing really cheesy songs, some even with actions. I've always been against that kind of thing, but now, I will be in my apartment blasting "Travelin' the Road" and "What Kinda Car" while dancing, belting, and doing the best actions of all time. Cheesy? I think not.
As we started our first day's drive, only a few hours into the drive, we got a sense of Satan's power fighting against us. Satan knew the kind of experience the 70 or so youth were going to have those 19 days to come and he wanted none of it. Satan knows the power of the youth of our day and tried and will continue to try his best to frighten us along the way and make our paths harder and sometimes even unbearable. But our Father in Heaven will protect us. He loves us and all we have to do is trust in Him. As we started our traveling journey, we were struck by a vehicle trying to cut in front of us. Some poor hispanics flipped and rolled and flew their way into a ditch on the side of the road, car totaled. First Responder youth found their way out of the bus and out to help, not even realizing that the bus barely had a scratch on its shiny, red surface. One of the men from the car was taken to the hospital in an ambulance as we sat there on the side of the road praying that everything would be all right. Prays were answered, Satan was defied, and after some time, we were able to continue our journey. The first day ended in Cheyenne, Wyoming to be continued the next morning, bright and early, to travel to Omaha, Nebraska.
Tuesday, July 6th, we were treated as missionaries as we awoke 2 hours before departure, and probably 7 hours before my average wake up time. Our first spiritual stop on our tour was at Winter Quarters. There is a beautiful temple at Winter Quarters, which I vow to return and go through some day, right next to the Winter Quarters, Pioneer Mormon Cemetery - where some graves are so old, names have rubbed off. Many persevering pioneers died there. A statue stands in the cemetery; a statue of a man and woman. The man has his arm around the woman as he steps forward, stepping forward with faith. Behind the couple, on the back of the statue, is a craggly, old tree branch coming up onto the pioneer's backs. My interpretation of it is that the branch is pulling at the couple, pulling them back and making their trek harder. The branch is a representation of Satan and how he is again continuously trying to hinder our way and stop us from making it back to our Father above. But the couple are true examples of the pioneers and how we should strive to be like them, no matter how hard Satan tries, have Faith. Faith that you will be okay, faith that the Lord will provide for you, faith that He has a plan for you and all you have to do is follow Him and obey His word and commandments and everything will be alright in the end. It will be better than alright, it will be perfect. I may not have gone into Winter Quarters entirely prepared for what it had in store, but I still had a wonderful, spiritual experience from it. I gained a whole new love and respect for the pioneers and just wish and pray that I can be as strong and endearing as they were.
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