Get thee hence, Satan; deceive me not; for God said unto me: Thou art after the similitude of mine Only Begotten. Moses 1:16  As we close the semester, I have been pondering my identity. I have been thinking about who I truly am. Cameron tells me all the time that I am too hard on myself, but I haven't quite believed him until this week. I was reading in Moses when I came across the...

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"But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth and all things that in them are." Mormon 9:11 I am a witness of miracles. I shouldn't have been born as healthy as I was. But God was watching out for my little family. That is...

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"And when the disciples had come with bread and wine, he took of the bread and brake and blessed it; and he gave unto the disciples and commanded that they should eat." 3 Nephi 18: 3 This week I learned a lot about this scripture. I love that the disciples brought the bread to Jesus and that he made it into something more than just bread. Isn't that something that He does for us all...

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"And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying: Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world." 3 Nephi 11:9-10 This week I was blessed to be able to read the most amazing chapters of the Book of Mormon -- when Jesus comes to his people in the Americas. As I read this quote from 3 Nephi, of Jesus declaring to...

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This week in my reading I focused on the scripture 3 Nephi 4:33 - "And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction." I have been trying really hard lately to be...

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I have come to find that living the life of a disciple of Christ is no easy task. Often, saints have a strong desire within themselves to do what is right, but due to their nature, often fail at accomplishing the goal of obedience and righteousness. Recently, I have struggled with feelings of inadequacy in the sight of God. Despite doing good things in my life, such as attending my church meetings, participating in religion...

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This week I have studied the word calm in the Topical Guide because my life has been anything but calm and I needed some insight, direction, and comfort about how to regain that quality in my life.  The word 'calm' has many interesting roots in different languages. In French it comes from a word meaning tranquil and quiet. In Italian it relates to the "heat of the mid-day sun", which is a "time when everything...

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This week I needed some direction. I needed to know what to do differently in my life to help me and my loved ones feel better and be closer to the spirit. I mean, I've been reading the scriptures and going to church, but I still felt like my heart was kind of hard and I wanted it to be softer. I was reading in Alma 31:5, which says: "And now, as the preaching of...

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"And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage. And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even...

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This week, the scriptures provided me mostly with comfort and reassurance. Being engaged is harder than I ever would have thought, and I don't always feel as if I live up to what Heavenly Father expects of me. Sometimes I make choices because I am tired or emotional that I normally would not make. Then, I end up feeling guilty and really want to be better. I am so grateful for the atonement of Jesus...

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This week in Book of Mormon, Brother Griffen pointed out something that I had never thought of before. He said that the scriptures never talk about our minds being "open", but only "firm". The part of our body that the scriptures talk about being "open" is our hearts. This is evidenced in Jacob 3:1. "Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your...

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One thing that I have learned in my life is that I think and speak in metaphors. I think that maybe it's because I have so many emotions and emotions are the most easily described by using symbols and stories.  One of my favorite symbols to use when teaching others and myself is light. I think that light is the epitome of truth when we say that all things denote that there is a Christ....

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So here's the thing. I've been so crazy stressed at the moment. I have to maintain good grades in school so that I can keep my scholarship. I have to get in hours at work and work hard so that our research project is successful. I have to try to keep my head above water with stress and depression. And I want to enjoy planning my wedding to the most wonderful man I know. So,...

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I am excited to begin studying the Book of Mormon again in more detail and depth. Right now is probably one of the most pivotal and stressful times in my life. I am making life-altering decisions and choosing fundamental paths that will surely impact not only my Earthly life, but also my eternal progression. This week especially I have been faced with one of the most important decisions I will ever make. So, in an...

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