Love

It's hard when we're hurt, and doubting ourselves to have hope and believe in some of the most basic beliefs and doctrines of the gospel. But it is in those very moments when we need to hold firm to them, for it is these simple yet profound beliefs that get us through our toughest times.

Love is real. I know it is. I know that because I am a son of God, I have the power to love.

My favorite scripture on love is found in 1 John 1:7-11. I am grateful that it is so very simple in its explanation of love and its importance in our lives.

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

I believe that if we really understood the atonement, we would love each other more fully. Everyone who we know or come to meet would be treated with more love, compassion and sincerity. I'm grateful for the atonement for that purpose. As I come to learn more about its significance in my life and the life of those around me, I feel more power to love and cherish my brothers and sisters.
I know that people are ready to share and express their love for and confidence in us when we need it most. We just have to go to them and ask them to help us feel it, and understand how we can be better. God be thanked for our precious families! I can't wait to meet my best friend, love her, have our family together, and grow old and more in love each day of our lives!

Choosing to love people

I arrived in Kentucky on Friday around 4 pm. I've been spending time with my sister Natalie and her husband Rob. They live in Nicholasville near Lexington KY. I was excited to come here and see what life is like in a different state. Since here I've seen the differences between this place and home. The sloping wide open fields are a different and distinct beauty. Everywhere you look there are double fences and barnes that signify a thriving horse operation.
The people are different. I feel deep inside that they live a more simple life than we do in Utah. I went with Natalie and Rob to the somerset branch. A lesson I learned on my mission served to help me have a good experience today. I remembered that loving people begins with a choice. A choice to see the good in them and simply love them. The men who blessed and passed the sacrament did so with a reverence and respect that I've never before seen or felt. People shared their experiences openly, with a desire to help others feel faith and goodness.
After church we went to a womans house who makes Sunday dinner each week for Natalie and Rob. They had another man over who they've 'taken under their wing'. I was really impressed all day at how good and kind the people here are.

Because of the rising generation

24. Yep, that's my age. I'm what we of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints like to call a "young single adult". We believe that we have a great responsibility to help build our church and bring about goodness on this earth no matter what our age.
The Book of Mormon is powerful in it's teachings concerning how life is prior to the coming of Jesus Christ to this earth. Why? Because the people described in this book went through a time of waiting for Christ to come to the earth just like we are today.
Today I read about the effect a rising generation such as mine can have on a whole civilization. In 3 Nephi 1:29-30 it states: "And there was also a cause of much sorrow among the Lamanites; for behold, they had many children who did grow up and began to wax strong in years, that they became for themselves, and were led away by some who were Zoramites, by their lyings and their flattering words, to join those Gadianton robbers.
And thus were the Lamanites afflicted also, and began to decrease as to their faith and righteousness, because of the wickedness of the rising generation."

I like the wording that is chosen "they became for themselves". I think that is exactly what we do at this stage in life of mid 20's. One of the main challenges we face is the decision as to what we will become. How we will lead, and rise to the challenge of being a disciple of Christ. As the Book of Mormon teaches, this generation of young adults were not strong. They chose to not believe and prepare themselves faithfully when the Savior would appear. I pray that I won't be like them. I pray that all of us who are of my age will rise to the challenge, and be better disciples of Christ.
I think a plague that many of us suffer with is the plague of fear. I'd like to end with one of my favorite quotes by James Allen.
"Having conceived of his purpose, a man should mentally mark out a straight pathway to its achievement, looking neither to the right nor the left. Doubts and fears should be rigorously excluded; they are disintegrating elements which break up the straight line of effort, rendering it crooked, ineffectual, useless. Thoughts of doubt and fear never accomplish anything, and never can. They always lead to failure. Purpose, energy, power to do, and all strong thoughts cease when doubt and fear creep in."