Every Saint Has A Past, Every Sinner Has A Future (Book of Mormon - Week 14).

The Story of Zeezrom

Hey guys! So... this is my last "official" Book of Mormon blog post. I know it's coming at you a little earlier than usual! My teacher isn't allowed to accept grades after midnight tonight because of finals week, so that is why.

Today I wanted to write to you about Zeezrom, for a few reasons. A. His name reminds me of see-saw (even though I don't think that's how it's pronounced:)). B. His story is really interesting and we can gain a lot from it - mainly because of how he teaches us about becoming converted and judging others.

We first see Zeezrom in Alma 11. He contends with Amulek in verse 22. Zeezrom asked Amulek if he could ask him some questions about God. Amulek responds saying, "Yea, if it be according to the Spirit of the Lord, which is in me; for I shall say nothing which is contrary to the Spirit of the Lord." Zeezrom then says, "Behold, here are six onties of silver, and all these will I give thee if thou wilt deny the existence of a Supreme Being."

Maybe the thing you remember about this story is the very beginning, before Zeezrom even gets introduced. Yup, this is that chapter where they spend the first 19 verses talking about the monetary system at the time and you just skim it. I kid you not, I read this chapter waiting to do baptisms for the dead, inside the temple, and even in that situation, I thought "Who cares about the monetary system at the time?" and skipped it. But here's the thing - there was a lot of scripture Moroni had to go through, and the process required to carve the scriptures onto the brass plates was rigorous - if he included something in the scriptures, there's a reason it is there. In this case, the first 19 verses are to emphasize exactly how much money six onties of silver is - it's estimated to be around what $33000 is to us today. And all Amulek had to say is "there is no God" to get it.

But what does he say instead? "O, thou child of hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the righteous yieldeth to no such temptations?" Okay - how great is that insult? I wish I could find a reason to call someone a child of hell! But also, look at Amulek's faith! I wonder if I would be that fast to just say "There is no God" to get that - I wouldn't have to mean it, right? But this shows how strong Amulek is and makes me want to be stronger and more diligent in my faith. The fact that he turns Zeezrom down so quickly and so harshly sparks something in Zeezrom, and he begins to ask questions. By the end of the chapter, "Zeezrom began to tremble" (v. 46).

So fast-forward a few chapters, to chapter 15, where you will find these words: "And Alma baptized Zeezrom unto the Lord; and he [Zeezrom] began from that time forth to preach unto the people." I'm sorry, what? How did we get from throwing thousands of dollars to tempt Amulek to being baptized and doing missionary work? It was because he listened to the words of Amulek in chapter 11 and 12 and became converted unto the Lord in Alma 12:7. He humbled himself and went on faith to find truth and happiness.

The thing I really want to emphasize about Zeezrom is how amazing he is. He went from a rather wicked man to a very good missionary. But what if we were around Zeezrom in his community and witnessed this change? If we saw Zeezrom the missionary and recalled Zeezrom the wicked lawyer, how would we handle him? I know it would be hard for me to take his conversion seriously. I would doubt his faith. But how should we handle it? We should be happy for him. We should encourage him. We should try to understand how he changed so that we could learn. We should love him.

Thanks, mormonwiki.com!

There's a phrase I really like that I think almost everyone knows: "Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future." It's so true. So often, I find people who have become anew through the Lord, or even through other means, and they were the last person I expected to change for the better. And every single time, I'm humbled. I'm a little too quick to judge them and doubt them, until they show me how faithful they are and I'm embarrassed, because I forget that I've been there too.

My challenge for you? Think of those people you know have changed. When they come up in conversation, don't talk about how they used to be. Talk about how amazing they are - does it matter how they were? "I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men." Even the Lord forgets our sins when we truly repent, we must forgive and forget what others have done to us, otherwise we stand more in the wrong.

I also challenge you to liken yourself to Zeezrom. If there is something you need to change in your life, but you're afraid of what people will think or what you'll have to give up, humble yourself and have a little more faith. I promise that what you need to do to be closer to Him is the most worthy cause you can pursue, no matter what you give up in the process.

Thank you guys for sticking with me and reading my posts! I hope that I've answered some questions, busted some myths, and helped you become closer to Him. Expect a post from me soon about a couple silly issues people have with the Book of Mormon: the mentioning of horses in the text, and Moroni correcting himself.

Hope you have a great week!

What If We Retained Every Scar? (Book of Mormon - Week 13).

Wow! It's been a while, guys! Sorry to have been so bad at posting. I had much better intentions for my blog than what my action on it has been reflecting. One of my goals for next semester is to blog once a week. You can hold me to that if you want:)
Today, I wanted to write you guys a pretty simple post. These next few weeks are nuts. I have tons of papers due this week and finals are next week. But man, after that I'm home free! Maybe I can give you some really stellar blog posts then. But for now, all I can give is something simple.
Last week, we read in Alma 5. Many of you might know of this as your "spiritual check-up". If you don't, I challenge you to read this carefully and answer the questions Alma asks. Don't be discouraged - you're not going to be able to say yes to most of them, and remember, this is Alma the Younger who is asking these questions, I'm guessing most of you haven't done nearly the wicked things he has (he understands having a past).
There's one scripture in this chapter that I really like - verse 48, "I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoeveer I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name."
It's really simple, and basically sums up Christ's mission in one verse. But really think about this - he takes away the sins of the world. Doctrine & Covenants 58:42 says, "Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more." Through the Atonement, Christ and Heavenly Father won't remember your sins. It's as if they never happened, as long as you are repenting. Can you imagine if every single scar, cut, or bruise you had ever received stayed on your skin? We're pretty lucky to be able to get rid of all of these mistakes, and we can do the same thing with our countenances!
So, if Heavenly Father no longer remembers our sins thanks to Christ's Atonement, why do we? It seems like a silly question, but if both of them forget the sin, it seems fitting that it would be easy for us to get over it and we would remember it no more too. But it doesn't work like that. I think (this isn't doctrine) that guilt is a powerful tool that has affects us intentionally. If we never felt guilt for our actions, we wouldn't feel a need to fix our mistakes, and we would commit them over and over without a care in the world. We need to remember our past sins so that we remember the consequences. Just as you might forgot some silly sins - maybe you pushed your sister down once when you were little, maybe you said a curse word and quickly tried to take it back -  some cuts heal without a scar. Some more serious sins or hard-to-break habits are harder to forgive yourself for, and some leave a big scar so you'll never forget, like a scar from a skin graft.

Thanks, intechopen.com!

When I was younger, I struggled a lot with some temptations I had. I didn't want Christ in my life, and I didn't have a relationship with Heavenly Father. But then, something changed, and I decided I really did want to be a part of the Church and know Christ and His gospel. Even after a year of growth, working with myself, a close friend, and my bishop, I felt unworthy to go into the temple. I remember crying during a temple recommend interview, telling the first counselor (who was also a close family friend) I still didn't feel worthy enough to go into the Lord's house (which is one of the interview questions). He smiled at me, and said he had been there too. The important thing to remember was that Heavenly Father has us remember our sins, and how bad we felt because of them to help encourage us to not commit the sin again. I still struggle with the temptations I had, but because I remember my sins, I know the consequences and it helps encourage me to be better than I was, even when my faith lacks a little.
All plans have some flaws. The fact that we remember our sins also makes it very hard to forgive ourselves, especially if you're a sensitive, self-conscious little soul like me. As I cried, my leader smiled at me, and said "Heavenly Father has already forgiven you, right?" And I said I was quite sure he had. He then said, "If he has forgiven you, you need to forgive yourself." That night, I knelt down by my bedside and asked Heavenly Father if he had forgiven me, and asked him for comfort to know that I am forgiven and for Christ to take away the burden of my guilt and show me how to forgive myself. And you know what? Christ didn't take away all of my guilt (I now know it is because guilt is a great tool), but took the majority of it from me, leaving enough for me to remember how bad I felt at the time and to stay humble. As I stayed and meditated by my bed, I felt a warmth I had never felt prior to that night. As typical as it sounds, it really felt as if Heavenly Father had wrapped His arms around me and he made it clear that He loved me, He knew me, and He appreciated my efforts to be better. That night, I slept for 12 hours and woke up, knowing that I was forgiven and I didn't have to feel my pain anymore. It had been taken from me. The following week, I went to the temple and thanked Heavenly Father for a very clear answer to my prayer.
I know that this topic is hard to understand until you come to know Christ's Atonement better and your Heavenly Father's plan. If you don't understand, I challenge you to get on your knees and ask to. It's a beautiful and humbling experience.
I hope you all have a great week! You'll hear from me on Friday.

We Do Rejoice With Exceedingly Great Joy (Book of Mormon - Week Eleven).

Well hey there!

I found it shockingly difficult to find something to write about today. We seriously covered so many amazing topics in class last week - some of which were controversial, and some brought the Spirit into my heart so well. I wanted to write about two especially controversial topics - one being the Godhead (for those of you who don't know, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints don't believe in the Trinity, part of the reasons a lot of Christians don't consider us to be Christians too. If you're curious, read what we think here) and the other being Christ's conception. However, the first topic will probably be covered later this week because we talked about it in a lot more detail this week, and I still have lots of questions myself about Christ's conception. It's a weird topic for sure. Maybe another time, maybe not. No promises.

Anyway, because I wasn't sure what to write about, I decided to just go through what we covered and find a verse I like and kinda just go with it. So sorry if today's post isn't controversial enough for you, is really disorganized, and/or isn't very insightful. I wanted to talk about the joy that comes so easily from the covenant we have made with Heavenly Father.

In Mosiah 5:2-4, the people of King Benjamin start talking about the joy they feel from following the prophet and staying true to his words, and keeping their covenants with God. "And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. And we, ourselves, also, through the infinite goodness of God, and the manifestations of his Spirit, have great views of that which is to come; and were it expedient, we could prophesy of all things. And it is the faith which we have had on the things which our king has spoken unto us that has brought us to this great knowledge, whereby we do rejoice with such exceedingly great joy." How awesome is that? Who doesn't want that sort of happiness in their life? Then verse five goes on, saying "And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will and be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a never-ending torment, as has been spoken by the angel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God."

I really like the fact that the joys of the covenant are partnered with the making of the covenant. Our covenants with Heavenly Father are the most important covenants we can make in this life. As far as our priorities go, our relationship with our Heavenly Father should come before anything else. Think about it - only through Him and His Son can we be saved, which is the main goal of this life. I've noticed in my own life that when I put Heavenly Father before anything else, I seem to have time for everything else. When I start my mornings off with a prayer, I feel the Holy Spirit with me more, guiding me and letting me know what I should do. When I really study my scriptures, I'm a better person, and more like the person I'm supposed to be. Honestly, I can't tell you that my whole life changed and that I never sin anymore or that I've had some big experience because I have put the Lord first. What I can tell you is that my life is overall better when I put the covenants and my relationship with God before anything else, and I know in the long run, my life will be completely changed because He has the power to help me do that.

I also think it's important to mention that we need to put our relationship and friendship with God and His Son before any other - even family. I'm lucky to have been raised in a family who believes in Christ and relies on Him. I know not all families are like that. I had a friend in high school who was a convert (meaning she got baptized into the LDS Church, she wasn't born into it) and her family was very against it. She waited until she was eighteen to get baptized because it's what her parents asked of her, they wouldn't give their consent. So she waited. The whole time, she was the most diligent disciple of Christ I had ever known. She prayed often, studied the scriptures, and repented openly - not being afraid to bring it back up and make amends when she messed up. When she turned eighteen, she was baptized. And now, she studies the scriptures with her parents. Usually, it's the Bible. But I was talking to her the other day, and she told me that her dad had outright asked her to read her favorite chapter from the Book of Mormon. She did and there were tears in his eyes. Yeah, maybe he'll never be baptized into the Church (and frankly I think that that's okay, of course he's still a good guy), but because my friend put her relationship with God even before her relationship with her own family, she has become a better person herself and is showing her parents how to find true joy. And honestly I think that's really beautiful.

There's this chart that I like a lot. I already used it in another blog post (the one about polygamy), but I'm going to use it again and explain it. We need to put God above everyone else. It's for the benefit of everyone. When we all aim to get closer to God, we also get closer to one another. That's the basic principle of the chart. Here it is: (it's from this blog post.)

Basically this chart is outlining what is necessary for a husband and a wife to get as close as possible to one another - becoming closer to God. When a husband and wife are not focusing on God and His will at all, it is extremely hard for them to become one. It's a lot of distance. However, the closer they both come to God, the shorter the distance becomes. I'm not married, and probably won't be for a couple of years, but to me, this is one of the most important aspects of marriage. Heavenly Father knows individual situations. He wants all of His children to be happy. When you are diligent in doing His will, listening to the Holy Ghost, He will help you get where you need to end up. In most relationships, He will help you maintain and become much closer if you work hard to become closer to Him.

So try it out. Do everything you can be to closer to God, and you'll love the joy that will come. Put your scripture study and prayers before your homework. Rather than giving into gossip, work to lift people up like Christ. When you get down, don't give into temptations that bring you only temporary happiness, serve others and build relationships. I know that as you do all you can, Heavenly Father will make you become the person you need to be, and by the same token, surround you with those you should be surrounded by. He's really an amazing Father to us. Talk to Him, I know He'll be glad to hear from you.

Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond (An Analytical Summary/Review)

Analytical Summary:

In grade school, educators teach about imperialism–one country extending its hand into another to take power or influence. Imperialism was especially prevalent throughout the 19^th and 20^th centuries, such as the Open Door Policy in China at the turn of the 20^th century. Rarely is it considered how especially influential countries gained their power in the first place. Jared Diamond dives deep into this concept of cultural dominance in his work Guns, Germs, and Steel. One of Diamond’s main points is that European dominance is due to the geographical location of the Earth’s earliest people. He explained this success as not due solely to geography itself, but what that geography allowed to arise for our earliest ancestors – agricultural success as well as the ease at which innovation and ideas flowed from population to population. Though Diamond’s two major points were valid, he neglected to mention two important factors that played a huge part in Europe rising to power, namely coincidence and culture.

Diamond’s arguments make a lot of sense. From the very title of his account, he presents his most relatable argument – Europe has dominance over the world because of their effective use of guns, germs, and steel. From the very first chapters of his book, he dispels the racist argument that Europeans were simply more competent than non-Europeans and therefore European innovation and culture could further take over. Rather, Diamond points out that the geographical location of certain nations was an indicator of supremacy in those nations. However, sheer size and location of a civilization alone is not a telltale sign of future superiority. As a counterexample, Diamond considers the African continent; if superiority did depend solely on geographic size and location, Africa would be the superpower of the world. Rather, Diamond explains that it is specific aspects of geography that lead to more widespread influential power of a nation.

Agriculture is an important aspect of geography that determines a civilization’s influence on other nations. As figure and table 5.1 show, the origins of food production began in developments that were highly influential at one point, such as China, the eastern United States, and the Fertile Crescent. Another geographical detail is the length of the horizontal axis of the continent in which a society exists. Because Africa and South America have such long vertical axes, any group settled on this continent would struggle to spread ideas. Diamond’s idea is that those continents with longer horizontal axes are better suited to the spreading of innovation because they are in similar environments. As a result of this, the climate is more consistent in two societies of the same latitude than those of the same longitude. The idea of a longer horizontal axis leading to an easier spreading of innovation on a continent links with agriculture as well because crops and animals can dwell in similar environments. Diamond explains that using both agriculture and axis relation acts as a sort of catalyst when diffusing ideas–the more surrounding civilizations adopt an idea, an increased number of civilizations will further adopt said idea. The influence grows exponentially, thus giving the original civilization more strength and power on a continental, and eventually, a global scale.

While Jared Diamond’s ideas are clear and easy to accept, there are more ideas that are just as impactful, though he chose not to include them. First, there is the role that the culture of a people as a whole plays on their impact on the world. For example, the Orient tends to think of the individual as a subordinate member of a bigger, more important group. Therefore, individuals within the Orient tend to be submissive to the larger, more important whole, resulting in a lack of outright creativity that tends to be necessary for innovation. In contrast, the Occident sees the individual as very important. They see the individual diversity within the group as something that gives their societies an advantage in cultural dominance compared to their eastern counterparts. Compare two countries with similar geography (with regard to longitude), one from the Orient, China; and one from the Occident, the United States of America. In this comparison, it becomes clear how much culture affects domination and spreading innovation. China has not developed much further in the past few decades and has a spirit of contentment with older traditions compared to the United States. The United States is rarely content with the present and is always looking for the newer, seemingly better thing, rewarding the individual who invents the next best thing with both fortune and fame.

Diamond does mention China having its power being taken over by western cultures in chapter 20, but claims China slowed its development down because of political unification. Rather, this vast difference between the United States and China – as well as most Oriental and Occidental societies – is caused by religion, something only briefly mentioned by Diamond in Guns, Germs, and Steel. One of the main influences on a society’s culture is religion. The emphasis on being submissive and content that appears in many Asian cultures is because of the most popular religions there. One of the fundamental principles of Taoism is being content with life the way it is. One of the four steps in Buddhism is eliminating pain through eliminating desires. The people of the Orient are fundamentally taught that contentment leads to happiness and exaltation. Therefore, innovation is rare in the Orient because everyone is content with what they already have. Compare that with the Occident, where Christianity is about us being saved through Christ’s mercy, good deeds, and undying faith – a very individualistic approach. The religious aspects of different societies were only touched on by Diamond, when they had a much greater effect on cultural dominance than many of his larger points.

Diamond also neglects to mention the power of sheer coincidence in cultural supremacy. Diamond admits that most of his points do not prophesy which nation will overshadow the rest, but he also does not give the credit to chance, which it deserves. We see chance rear its head and dictate who gets what power throughout history. One very recent example is that of the presidential election in 2000 between George Bush and Al Gore. Bush got elected as the Executive of the United States by a small enough margin that his success over Gore’s in the election is usually seen as luck of the draw. However, those years that Bush was in office were arguably some of the most crucial in recent American history–terror struck, war broke out, and our culture as the United States changed. It poses an interesting question–what if Al Gore had become America’s Chief Executive instead? Would our country still be such a massive superpower? As this is a hypothetical exercise we cannot talk in absolutes. However, it shows that sheer chance does play a huge role in a nation’s cultural dominance. It may, perhaps, be an even bigger than those mentioned in the book. Diamond is valid in giving credit to geography, agriculture,  and domestication. However, the fact that most of these things occurred together in the right environment is due to chance, and Diamond does not mention it.

The points made by Jared Diamond in Guns, Germs, and Steel are valid and true. He makes it clear that cultural dominance and the appearance of technology did not occur for purely biological reasons, but claims that societal dominance has generally been influenced by geography in one way or another. It is valid that Diamond’s reasoning does go back to this main idea, and his arguments for geography are both well written and explained. However, Diamond’s argument is found to be lacking when he fails to clearly outline that both culture and chance were also large contributors to European domination today.

Patience is a Virtue (Book of Mormon - Week Ten).

Well hello there! This week, we talked about a lot of different things in my Book of Mormon class. Most of it was simple logistics or lots of academic-related stuff that I don't really feel like writing about. But, we did talk about one chapter that many of you probably claim as your favorite! Jacob 5 is amazing. It's also really long - reading it before class, I rushed through it, not going to lie. But when we dove deep into the chapter and connected it to our lives, I found my heart softened for the first time in a while, and the Holy Ghost touched me so that I could hear the answers to even the most silent of my prayers.

I guess I should give you a little bit of personal background here - it's been a hard week or so. Mostly with myself. I don't want to talk too much about it, I don't want any pity, and I don't need any cookies or hugs or anything arriving at my dorm room door (though I would be pretty okay if you did want to send me a care package;)) but it has made me feel better to ask for help with some of it and put it out there. Anyway, here it is: I'm a perfectionist and have always set ridiculously high expectations for myself. That's always been the case, and probably always will be. And honestly it's great! I achieve amazing things because of it. However, when I don't do extremely well, or falter somewhere else, I kill myself with criticism. I don't really know how to put it all out in an organized matter, so please bear with me. Basically, I feel like a worse person now than I was this time last year - I have less energy to give to other people and not enough time to feed my inner introvert so that I can continue to deal with and even enjoy others. As a result, I've been sharp-tongued, prone to gossip, and just not very willing to give as much time and energy to others (I think because really I have less to give). Basically, I've been falling short in about everything I do, and for a perfectionist, that's pretty much a living nightmare. I'm especially sensitive right now, but it's totally fine - it's a trial that I'm going through and I'll be stronger as I endure it well and continue to work on everything with Heavenly Father's help. But yes, that's the background I'm coming from here.

So we're reading this super long chapter, and it's super cool. But then we get to Jacob 7, which is where Sherem is trying to convince people not to believe Christ or God or anything else that the prophets are saying. In verse 13, Sherem tells Jacob to "show me a sign by this power of the Holy Ghost, in the which ye know so much." And basically from that point, God smote him and Sherem began to preach good until he died the next day. But then, we remembered something from Matthew 12. Verse 31 says that "an evil and adulterous generation seeketh a sign." We wondered what the relationship between adultery and sign-seeking was. Then Brother Griffin pointed something out - both are looking for instant gratification. Both a sign seeker and an adulterer would say "I want what I want now with no work or consequence."

Okay so that's cool, yeah? But then this is where Brother Griffin's words started to touch me - in order to know that Heavenly Father is real, or that the Holy Ghost can really touch us, we need to first have faith, and then exercise that faith. Brother Griffin explained that gaining a testimony is a slow process, much like growing an olive tree (tying it back to chapter five - hollaaaa). We have to be patient. And this is where I started to really feel enlightened - I can't be perfect in a day. The sorts of habits I'm trying to establish in myself can't be done in a day, or even a month. In order to get where I want to be, I need to be patient with myself. I need to always try, stick to my goals, and soon enough I'll get there. Maybe I'll fail sometimes, but as long as I'm improving, does it really matter?

The same goes for you. As long as you're setting goals, working towards them, and asking for Heavenly Father's help, you're golden. Don't expect him to make you the person you're supposed to be overnight, be patient with him, yourself, and others.

Mormons and Polygamy (Book of Mormon - Week Nine)

So hey let's get down into the nitty gritty: polygamy. It's an ugly word to most people, sometimes seen as an ugly thing in the history of the church. But it happened. And honestly, we shouldn't be ashamed of it. For those of you who do not know, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints no longer practice polygamy, but there was a time that they did. It wasn't because they wanted to have sex with a bunch of different women - there was nothing weird or sexual about it. It was done to raise righteous seed - men would marry women and they would be sealed together. The sealing keys were used horizontally, not vertically. Polygamy was practiced in the LDS Church from 1831-1890.  It was revealed to Joseph Smith in 1831 after a prayerful inquiry about it. If you want to see the actual revelation, click here.

In class, we started talking about polygamy because of some readings we did in Jacob 2, when the law of marriage was revealed by the Lord (I believe it was through Jacob?). In verse 27, He says "For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none". So, just reading this, you might say, 'Joseph Smith got the wrong revelation! Who does he think he is?' However, in verse 30, it says "raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things." This means that the Lord explained the law of marriage as He would have it, but if something needed to be changed, He would command His people. And Joseph Smith was commanded!

The thing is though, polygamy was commanded to Joseph Smith, and he didn't want to reveal it. He knew how frowned upon it was. He knew that there would be some to pervert the nature of it. In fact, Joseph Smith even withheld the revelation for a while because of his fear. But an angel came to him after it had been revealed to Smith and basically told him that if he didn't reveal the revelation he had received about polygamy, he would be replaced. So he revealed it. It's even said that Brigham Young - a notorious polygamist - dreaded the commandment of practicing polygamy, according to Mormon Newsroom (also, this article super rocks, I recommend it if you're curious about polygamy).

The biggest attack about Mormons and polygamy that I have heard involved Joseph Smith being sealed to a 14 year old girl. Let's get a couple of things straight - it's true, Joseph Smith married Helen Kimball at the very young age of 14. Also, let's make it clear that Joseph Smith did not have a sexual relationship with this young girl. Smith was sealed to Helen Kimball at the consent of her father, Heber C. Kimball. Why would they do this? Well, back in the early days of the church when the sealing power was first introduced, members weren't quite sure how it worked yet. It's clear that the prophet will make it to the Celestial Kingdom (think of it as LDS Heaven, though there's much more to it than that), so many people thought that if they got sealed to the prophet, they would also be assured a place in the Celestial Kingdom. By Heber Kimball asking Joseph Smith to get sealed to his daughter, Kimball thought he had assured his family a place in the Celestial Kingdom to be with Heavenly Father again. You gotta love them for their strong desire to do what the Lord wants for them, even if they don't know the details! I can't imagine Heavenly Father looking down, saying something like, "You fools! Obviously that isn't how you use my power." Rather, I like to think he looked down, laughed and said something like, "Well, you gotta love the enthusiasm! Let's show them how my keys are supposed to be used."

Anyway, in 1890, while Wilford Woodruff was the prophet and president of the LDS Church, the United States government threatened Woodruff - if his church members didn't stop practicing polygamy, the LDS temples would be taken from them. So Woodruff was stuck and needed to make a decision - would he give up temples, or polygamy? He prayed, and it was revealed to him that the LDS members would stop practicing polygamy and would keep their temples instead. Interestingly enough, in the next year (and a bit), children began to be sealed to their parents - the sealing keys began to be used more vertically, and less horizontally.

Why does this matter to you? If you're a member of the church, it explains polygamy so you can be less ashamed of the history of the church. If you aren't a member, maybe this helps you understand how Mormons view polygamy now, and why we practiced it in the first place. I know it was really nice for me to know. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! Don't take any of that anti-mormon stuff for more than a grain of salt. A primary source is always more accurate than a secondary.

Bibla - The Little Library (Book of Mormon - Week Eight)

What is the biggest issue traditional Christians have with Mormons?

I mean, okay, yeah there's lots of issues they have with us (most of which are misconceptions). But the very biggest? I'd venture to say that it's the fact that we have a "second Bible" - the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. It's totally understandable, honestly. If you believed God didn't speak anymore (that's one I would find so hard to accept personally), then why would He present another scripture?

But here's the thing - God does speak. He also speaks to individuals. Have you ever had one of those days that you were knocked down to your knees because you didn't know who else to turn to? I know I have. Tell me, have you ever felt better afterwards? Someone might have come up to you and said just the right thing to help make your day better or solve your problem. That was Heavenly Father's way of telling you He loves you. Whether it is done by Him or by His servants, it is the same (D&C 1:38). Why would God just suddenly stop talking? If He loves all of His children, He would guide all of them through to the very end, not just give a single book of answers and say, "well, I guess that's sufficient". God does not love us a sufficient amount, He loves us more than we can ever imagine. His love is unfathomable - so it only makes sense that He would guide us all until the very end. He knows you by name and loves you more than you could ever know!

In 2 Nephi 29:3, Heavenly Father speaks, saying "many of the Gentiles (and also people in our day) shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible."

Maybe you're reading that, saying "Yeah it makes sense. Nothing else needed to be outlined."

But then, look at the word Bible. The word derives from a French word - "bibla," meaning "library." Take that a step further - the Oxford English Dictionary (ooh, fancy) defines the word "bible" as "little library." Even further now! Think about how the Bible was assembled. Way back in the day, all scripture was held in the temples. There were tons and tons of scrolls, plates, papyrus, what have you. Then time passed, and they decided that they wanted a book. So, they took a bit of everything, making a little library of what could be found at the temple.

"A little library! A little library! We have already got a little library, and there cannot be any more little library." Now, doesn't that sound a bit foolish? There's more works there! Who wouldn't want more books in their library?

God goes on, saying in verse 7, "Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?" The Book of Mormon is Christ's account in the Americas. The Bible is mostly in the Middle East. I personally believe that there are perfectly valid scriptures from many lands, even more than just the Middle East and the Americas. Please know - that is my belief, not the LDS Church's belief necessarily. For example, I feel the Tao Te Ching is great scripture - I have felt the Holy Ghost reading that. But that's a discussion for another day.

I know that the Book of Mormon is true scripture, great to add to your "little library" (see what I did there?). I know that God still talks to His children, both individually and personally, but also through His prophet. I have read the book, prayed about it, and can testify that God gave me an answer. I know of its truth. I invite you to do the same!

Holy, holy, holy! (Book of Mormon - Week Seven)

No lie, this week's post will be much less spiritual, and much more about interesting things learned this week, mainly because I didn't find any extremely life-changing words this week in lecture today. We're mostly focusing on history and dissecting the poetry that is Isaiah's writings. He's one tough cookie to understand (though his words are touching).

The most interesting thing I learned this week involves Isaiah's use of repetition. It's throughout the scriptures everywhere, so I figured it'd be good to share with y'all. It's already upped my scripture study.

In 2 Nephi 16, Isaiah is having a vision, and sees one seraphim (if I'm understanding this right - Isaiah is a little confusing) say unto another "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory" (2 Nephi 16:6). But why does he say it three times? Well, apparently, three is a superlative and holy number, and is highly symbolic to Isaiah and many Biblical writers. It gives a lot of emphasis to what is being said, and it is the supreme number to them. Don't ask me why, because honestly I'm not sure. If anyone would care to shed some light on the subject i the comments below, please do. But anyway, that shows that when something is repeated three times, it's something to pay attention to. Oftentimes in the scriptures, "Wo! Wo! Wo!" or something similar appears. To me, this means to slow down and really pay attention to why this word is being repeated, because it means their action/attitude/whatever is being spoken about is a big deal.

This divine number that is the number three shows its importance in other aspects of our religion as well as others. Look at the three members of the Godhead, the three degrees of glory, and the three days that passed before Jesus was resurrected. Three shows its face throughout religion.

The Gilbert, Arizona Temple (© Photo courtesy of John Power. All rights reserved.)

Specifically in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we use the number three as a superlative without even realizing. For those of you who don't know, we have temples - which are houses of the Lord on this earth - that we dedicate to the Lord when they are done being built. I won't give lots of detail about temples, just because I honestly can't tell you much more than what I have - I haven't gone through the temple yet and couldn't give an explanation better than this one. But anyway, at these temple dedications, we do this thing called the "hosanna shout." We take a white handkerchief, and while waving it, say in unison "Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! to God and the Lamb!" three times, ending with "Amen! Amen! Amen!" Yes, it is a little odd, but it is what it is. It's our traditional way of praising God and setting the temple apart to the Lord. The fact that it is a marvel and a wonder is beside the point. The point is, we repeat this phrase three times. We ask "hosanna" three times, and end with "amen" three times. (For the record, this isn't a secret, you can read about it right here). That aspect of the temple lifts up and makes holy to us what is being repeated - praises of joy, to God and to Christ and to His Atonement, Amen! that it can be dedicated properly and be good enough to be called a Heavenly home on earth.

 Maybe we should pay more attention to the number three. I'm very curious as to how the number lost its meaning in our day when it was the superlative back in Biblical times. Paying attention to this number and knowing it was - and still should be - significant has changed my scripture study and other aspects of my spiritual life, and I think it'll do the same for you.

"O Wretched Man That I Am!" - 2 Nephi 4 (Book of Mormon - Week Six)

This week, I discovered my absolute LOVE for 2 Nephi 4. This chapter answered prayers that I couldn't find the words to utter aloud. I guess this chapter tends to be referred to as either the Lamentations or Psalm of Nephi, and I now understand why. This chapter talks about Nephi's weaknesses - he is tempted, and those temptations "easily beset him" (2 Nephi 4:18). He talks about his feelings about himself because of iniquities - "when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins," but goes on to speak of his Lord - his sole reason for continuing on fighting hard (19). There's so much I want to talk about with this. I feel like everything Nephi felt and the pleading with the Lord done here is how I feel often. I always desire to be so much more, and so much better, yet the simplest, silliest temptations are what tend to get me and take me farther away from my Lord. Nevertheless, I keep trying, and the Lord continues to motivate me to try, and I progress. Slower than I want to, but I still progress. I never highlight in my Book of Mormon saved for lecture, only in my set at home. But I couldn't help myself with this chapter - I highlighted everything.

I feel like if you just read the chapter as I did in personal study, you'll be able to feel Nephi's emotions just as I did and know that everyone falls short - even one of God's most beloved prophets. It is through the enabling power of the Atonement that any of us can make it back to our Heavenly Home. So, although that was the most powerful thing I attained from this chapter, I'll let you do that on your own. I want to talk about what we discussed in class with this chapter - the fail-proof step-by-step guide to recovering from a bad day. Here we go:

Step One: Have righteous desires.

Before even mentioning his weakness, Nephi speaks of his desires - "upon these I write the things of my soul...For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and profit of my children. Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard" (2 Nephi 4:16-17). If your desires are good, you'll fall short less often. Sure, the pathway to hell is paved with good intentions, but even having good intentions is better than having none, and good intentions is just the first step. You cannot move on to bigger and better things if you don't know what bigger and better things you want or why you want them.

Step Two: Know your personal weaknesses.

From verse 17, Nephi goes on, saying, "Nevertheless...my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and sins which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins..." (2 Nephi 4:17-19) Although Nephi does not tell us straight out what it is he struggles with, he makes it very clear that he does have his struggles. My last blog post talked about how we should look at out weaknesses. I think Nephi sees his weaknesses properly. He is humble and submissive because of them. What are your weaknesses? How do they make you unhappy? What do you want to do about them?

Step Three: Remember why you should stay strong.

Don't you love the word "nevertheless"? I never really noticed it until we studied it so in-depth this term! Nephi follows his lamentation with this word "nevertheless", meaning, "despite all of that". He says, "nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh (meaning "my worldly desires disappear")...he hath heard my cry" (2 Nephi 4:19-23). It's easy to get into a pity party when you forget the point of it all and forget that you have a God who loves you so much, knows your afflictions, and simply asks that you follow him and always improve, and He'll give you strength and blessings and mercy and pure joy unfathomable otherwise. Always remember Him.

Step Four: Count your blessings. Do what is right.

This totally goes hand-in-hand with step three. Nephi goes on through all of these "he hath" phrases from verse 20 through verse 25 (I mentioned some of them above, so I won't type out any more) talking about how blessed he is. Heavenly Father hears Nephi's cries and gives him protection and love and knowledge. Nephi does all he can to overcome temptation, and in exchange, the Lord gives him a boost and affirms that he is doing the right thing. Make goals. Always strive to be better. Keep your priorities straight. Work hard during the day and then cry aloud on your knees. Do all you can, and then stay positive and happy. If you're always looking at the negative, then negative is all you'll see. Look up.

Step Five: Re-evaluate the big picture.

From here, Nephi starts looking again, and asks questions. "O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in such mercy, why should by heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?...why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul?" (2 Nephi 4:26-27). Once you realize that your temptations and weaknesses come from man or from evil, you'll start to realize that your sorrow is so much less than your blessings. And then there is room for epiphany. 

Step Six: Re-convict yourself.

Here's where my heart just leapt, remembering the first moment I felt a re-conviction to the Lord. "Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul...O Lord, I will praise thee forever" (2 Nephi 4:28, 30). If you thought you had righteous desires before, just you wait until you feel a re-conviction to the Lord. This feeling makes you realize just how strong your God is, and through Him, how strong you can become. It makes you never want to sin again, and it is the most comforting feeling in the world - because of your God, nothing will bring you down.

Step Seven: Plead to the Lord for strength.

This is where I always fall short - I would end my recovery with re-conviction. But Nephi goes on, asking the Lord to protect him and keep him from ever giving in to temptation again. "O Lord, I have trusted in thee. And will put my trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh...cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm." (2 Nephi 4:34). To stay strong, you have to tell the Lord in prayer what you will do and what you need from Him - make a covenant with Him.

Step Eight: Always bring it back to your testimony.

"Yea, I know that God will giveth liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen" (2 Nephi 4:35).

Making Weak Things Strong - 2 Nephi 2 (Book of Mormon - Week Five)

            So I know this post is a late one – last week and this week are by far my most busy weeks, so forgive me!

            Last Wednesday, we had another amazing class. We mostly studied 2 Nephi 2, which is basically Lehi talking to Jacob and blessing him (I think it’s Lehi? Don’t quote me on that). The chapter starts out, saying, “in thy childhood[, Jacob,] thou hast suffered afflictions, and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy bretheren [Laman and Lemuel]. Nevertheless Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain” (2 Nephi 2:1-2).

            It always bothered me when people said that our afflictions were a blessing from God. It’s hard for me to believe in a God who would say, “hey, I love you, so let me make your life worse.” Most of my most scarring afflictions were not from God at all, but from man through agency, in some cases, even my own. If we have the power to choose, it doesn’t make sense that God was behind it the whole time. But that’s not what is being said here. His afflictions are not blessings, necessarily, or even from God, but simply stated as for his gain.

            We all struggle with something. Even one of the most beloved examples in the Book of Mormon, Nephi, struggled (I’ll be writing about 2 Nephi 4 where we learn about Nephi’s struggles later this week). Brother Griffin told an amazing story that touched my heart. It was about a man who struggled. He was amazing, and worked very hard. But his thoughts wandered a lot when he saw scantily-dressed women. He always tried to control it, begging God to take his weakness from him, and tried to pull his thoughts back without harm. He always figured that he would just get married and grow out of it, but to no avail. It got to the point where he was retired, and wouldn’t go out shopping with his wife because he knew that seeing the ads would make his mind wander. However, one day, he did, and just stayed in the car while she went inside and shopped. A young woman walked by, and the old man turned awa
y, his thoughts wandering. He cried aloud “Oh God, wilt thou take mine affliction away and make me strong against this silly temptation? Haven’t I suffered long enough?” He then heard a voice in his mind, which said “I will not take it away, for through thine weakness, thou comest unto me.”

            And then I thought. There are things I struggle with. I think we all have personal temptations that we hesitate to talk about, hoping to contain our demons. How often have I cried, “Oh God, wilt thou take this away from me?” But no, He will not, because without it, we would have no reason to come unto Christ and use His Atonement.

This relates to Ether 12:27, a pretty popular favorite for most. “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”

Your weaknesses come from your natural man, but they are not necessarily bad. Though they are not God-given, they bring us unto the Savior and make us kneel down at his feet.

"They Came Forth, and Fell Down, and Partook of the Fruit of the Tree" (Book of Mormon - Week Three)

Hey y'all! This is week number two of my Book of Mormon class, and it's been amazing. I left class about in tears on Wednesday because that class had answered my prayers so specifically that I was overwhelmed with feelings of love.

So we studied 1 Nephi 8 really in depth - this is Lehi's vision! We studied these words very carefully; because these verses get studied so often, I think we lose their deeper meaning. So Brother Griffin slowly blew my mind this class as we studied these words and painted this picture. I'm writing to those who are already familiar with Lehi's Vision. If you aren't and would like to learn more, read it here, and come back! As always, feel free to comment/contact me and ask questions.

I feel like there are so many amazing things in this chapter, but I just don't have the time to write them all down, and besides, I feel like the most precious gems discovered in the scriptures are the ones we come across as we meditate on our own, so do that. I'll talk about my favorite discovery.

We compared the two kinds of people on the path in the vision - the ideal travelers (who we want to be) and the apostates. We found many differences - the apostates were clinging to the rod, not "continually holding fast" to it, the apostates were ashamed that they needed to partake of the fruit, the apostates listened to the mocking of those in the great and spacious building, and most importantly, the apostates did not fall in front of the tree when they partook of the fruit, they looked around in shame. I also noticed that their intentions to take care of their sins were the same - both groups partook of the fruit (repented) - it was their attitudes that were different.

Verse thirty is what we should be aiming to become: "...other multitudes [were] pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree." Notice the sequence of events here. First they came forth, then fell down in front of the tree, and then partook of the fruit. Logically, that does not make sense. How could they possibly partake of the fruit if they fell down first rather than reaching for it? It doesn't make sense, until you realize that the tree mentioned in the vision isn't a tree - it is Christ. All we have to do is work hard come to the tree (Come unto Christ), and fall at his feet, and He will bless us with His mercy by handing us the fruits (Atonement).

I don't believe that all we have to do is say we believe in Christ and then we're saved. I can't believe in a God who would be fine with a person who sins profusely, but then says "I believe in Christ" and then is forgiven with no change in action, because actions speak louder than words. I think we have to work hard to be true disciples of Christ, and only then is Christ's mercy enough for us. This totally is shown in the vision, though. These examples who fell at the tree are it. They fought their whole lives to stay on the strait (not straight, this also blew my mind) and narrow path, pushing against this river (sin and temptation), until they reached their destination, keeping in mind only the tree. When mentioning these choice disciples, the great and spacious building was never even mentioned. It was only mentioned with the apostates, which just shows how focused on the tree (Christ) the disciples were.

This seriously answered my prayers. I had been praying hard the previous night to figure out how to help a friend of mine who had called me really distraught because sinned and everyone around him became aware of it rather quickly. He was in a situation where the only way he could make things right also meant many people knowing what he had done. He was worried about what people would think, but loved God enough to not care about what anyone thought of him, though he noticed through the days that it became increasingly harder for him to ignore the opinions of others, even though he knew he was doing what God wanted of him. I knew at that point exactly what to tell him - he was doing exactly what he needed by following his promptings to repent, despite what anyone else thought. Just as the choice disciples in Lehi's vision, he needed to ignore the "great and spacious building" of people pointing fingers and mocking him. He was utilizing the atonement, and as long as he wasn't ashamed, and put Heavenly Father's opinion of him over anyone else's, he would make it to the tree, come forth, fall down, and partake of the fruit.

The same goes for all of us. Those voices from the great and spacious building sure are loud, but just keep doing you, and keep doing your best, and you're going to be just fine.

Another Testament of Jesus Christ (Book of Mormon - Week Two)

First things first, I feel I should explain this post.

I'm in Brother Griffin's Book of Mormon class here at the Y. So far I LOVE his class. I get so much more out of it than I did in my seminary classes in high school. One of his assignments is to talk about something we learned about the Book of Mormon this week. We can either write an email or a blog post. You can expect a post like this once a week, probably on either Sunday nights or Monday mornings.

If you aren't of the LDS faith, I encourage you to look at both mormon.org and LDS.org for more information, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions at all! I also know two guys in white shirts who would love to be of assistance if you'll have them. :)

So basically, we have this book of additional scripture called the Book of Mormon. You've probably heard of it. Ignore any of the weird things you've heard about it and hear this - the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. Hear that? Another, meaning it is partnered with the Bible, not something to be studied in lieu of the Bible. If there is interest in the very basics of the Book of Mormon, I can write a post for that (let me know if you're interested). But for now, I'm just going to write for those who are already of the LDS faith.

The Book of Mormon took on an additional few words to its title in 1982 - "Another Testament of Jesus Christ." I like that it gives mention to Jesus Christ in the very title, declaring to the world that we, as members of the LDS faith, are indeed Christians (depending on how you define Christian - here I am defining "Christian" as one who believes in Christ and strives to be a disciple of Him in word AND deed).

After outlining this, Brother Griffin told us a story. Long story short, he was asked to write lesson plans for an online seminary class (religious class, for those of you who aren't familiar with this), and after review, he was told that he had emphasized too much on Christ. He was perplexed - this in indeed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, how could he have emphasized Christ too much? Is there such a thing as too much emphasis on Christ?

But then Brother Griffin said something very significant to me - what is Jesus Christ's purpose? To bring people back to Heavenly Father and His plan.

And that was his issue with the lesson plan. He had talked about Jesus Christ multiple times throughout every lesson, but not once did he mention Heavenly Father.

This is a big concern, not only in the LDS church, but throughout many Christian churches, and I didn't realize it until Brother Griffin pointed it out to me. Heavenly Father has delegated Jesus Christ to many wonderful things. I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, not the Church of Heavenly Father. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, not of Heavenly Father. One primary song says, "I'm trying to be like Jesus," not "I'm trying to be like Heavenly Father." I'm not undermining what Christ has done for me. It is through His mercy and sacrifice that I can ever attain even the smallest measure of true happiness. He is my older brother and best friend. He loves me so much that He suffered and died for my sins and pains personally, not just the overall sins and pains of the world (He did that for you too, by the way, whether you consider yourself religious or not). What I'm saying is that Heavenly Father has given Christ delegation over many things because Jesus Christ's main purpose is to bring us back to Heavenly Father and what He would want us to be, and we need to remember that.

Also, the fact that Christ has been delegated so many things really emphasizes how important the very few things Heavenly Father has reserved for himself are - namely prayer. We pray to Heavenly Father in Jesus' name. God gave Christ delegation over many things, but because He loves us so much, God wouldn't give up our chance to communicate with Him. He allowed Christ to be involved, but God still delegates over prayer. Next time you think twice about saying your prayers, or find yourself mumbling the words out of habit, think about that. Heavenly Father wants to hear from you so badly that He has reserved the power of prayer for himself, despite all of the great things He gave to Christ. Let Him really know what's going on with you.

Things I Wish I Had Known Before College

So I started my first term at BYU in Provo, Utah about nine weeks ago, and this week is my first week home. Because this term was so dang short, I've been reflecting on the quick but life-changing time I've had at the Y. I have always been worried about college, even in junior high! All of my breakdowns somehow involved "I'll never be successful in college and never get a job." My most recent was the night before AP testing my senior year. I tried cramming for AP Statistics and completely broke down. If I couldn't even handle studying for an AP test, how could I handle college? My wonderful mother calmed me down and told me I would be fine, but of course I didn't believe her until I actually got to college. So, for those of you who are heading off to college soon (or are just curious), here are a some things I would have loved to know.

1. Do not worry about the Freshman 15.

This was the biggest deal for me my first term. I feel like all through high school, all I ever heard about college was that it meant gaining weight. Because of that, I spent my whole first month of college being very weight conscious. I didn't eat when I was hungry - I ate two or three meals a day, even if my tummy was making grumblies in-between meals. My few meals were sparce on calories, too. Now don't get me wrong, of course it's important to eat healthy. However, I think all of the ominous talk about "the freshman 15" is dangerous. In my first two weeks at BYU, I lost four pounds. Once, I got so hungry, I passed out on my way home from the Creamery. Even after that, I still stuck to my diet. Finally, I talked to my older brother about it. In response, we went to Smashburger. Needless to say, after that, I realized that I wasn't healthy because I was trying too hard to be healthy.

The thing to remember about being in a university setting is that you're going to be walking way more than you ever have before. Experts claim that a "healthy" amount to walk is 10,000 steps each day. This summer, I walked between 15,000 to 35,000 steps every day. All of that walking, on top of a normal exercise routine (if you do that), means you need to eat for fuel, not just enjoyment. I stopped counting my calories and ate whenever I felt weak or hungry. My grades improved, my health improved, and I felt better. The only time you should worry about the freshman 15 is when you feel yourself gaining weight, otherwise, you'll make yourself sicker trying to avoid it.

2. Yes, college is harder than high school. But don't stress!

One of my biggest fears of my first term was getting bad grades. I was so afraid that I would fail in college despite my success in high school. I heard older peers come home from university and tell me how hard it was.

Here's the thing: college is tough. I spent at least two hours in the library every day. However, people say college is hard because the outcome completely depends on your input. If you spend your time playing, you're putting entertainment and your social life as your top priority, and that's what you're going to get. If you spend your time working, you're going to make tons of money. It's the same thing with academics: if you spend your time studying well (reading your flash cards before bed, do you reading before lecture, email your teachers, and do your work on time [this was the biggest thing - take it from a procrastinator like me]), you'll get your reward. I learned so much in my classes and got As in both of them because I put in that extra work and only pursued my social life after all of my work was done.

So, yes, college is harder than high school. But you have a LOT more time for whatever it is you're wanting to do. Make sure you have your priorities straight and you will reap whatever reward you're sowing.

3. Get organized in order to be successful.

Okay, I feel like I could write a separate blog post about just this. But this is super relevant to academic success. So anyway, I'm a really organized person (my mom might laugh if she reads this because she's seen my bedroom). But really, I'm at least good at time management. This has been my biggest key to success in my academic career. My routine makes it near impossible for me to procrastinate without feeling guilty and ensures everything gets done. I utilize my phone, my supplies, and my environment to be successful, and honestly, I don't know how people can find success without actively organizing their time. Hopefully I can outline my system well enough to be understood. Don't be afraid to comment or talk with me for clarification.

My binder: I keep a monthly calendar on my binder cover. Here's a picture of an example one (August is a little different than normal because most of my pens were packed and I'm on break half of the month):

I put my important events here. You don't need much detail in a monthly view. Also, I color code my planner. Deadlines are in red. Daily stuff (less important appointments/weekly classes) is in black. Dates and parties are in a fun color like purple or pink. This helps me see how quickly deadlines are approaching, and also what fun things I have to look forward to. I have my monthly goals in the corner by the month so I always keep in mind what's most important.

My cell phone calendar and reminders: So this is where I get a little crazy... I organize my time for everything - even my sleep schedule, exercise, and spiritual growth. Here's a less-crazy example:

So as crazy as this seems, it's really nice to be able to allot a certain amount of time for everything I need to do every day, so everything gets done (or at least thought about). I just recently learned that the iPhone calendar lets you set alerts for your events, so I started putting a five-to-fifteen minute alert on each event as an additional reminder. And it rocks.

Another great resource is the "reminders" app on the iPhone. This gives you alerts for little things you can't forget, but don't want to put time aside for in your calendar. I use this for things like checking accounts, paying my bills, selling my college textbooks, writing a thank you note, or calling someone back. It's nice, because you can remind yourself at any time (so I usually schedule for times that correspond with the "white areas" of my calendar), and then just let it be if you can't tackle it right away. The reminders won't bother you constantly, but they stay stacked up in the app so you are always reminded!

I also write my goals everywhere around me. On my mirror in my bathroom at home, I usually have five goals to get accomplished. Through the years, they have ranged from "exercise four times a week" to "treat everyone how you want to be treated." I also write my goals in my journal and how I'm doing with them. It helps a lot!

4. You will be homesick.

I don't care who you are, you're going to get homesick. I was super independent in high school. Home was just a place for food and sleep. And yet, I got so homesick. I prayed about it a lot and talked to my (amazing) religious leader for help. My leader told me to embrace where I was and utilize my time so I wouldn't even have time to think about home. So, from that point on, whenever I felt alone, I went out. I went over to the dorms and knocked on doors and made plans. When I didn't feel like being social, I studied extra. When I was sick of studying, I went on a run or swam laps at the pool. I also stress cleaned a whole lot (the boys in my neighboring dorm can testify that their dorms were squeaky clean, because when I was sad, I went to work on their kitchen!). It helped a ton. I didn't have time to think about home, I was too busy doing good for myself! I hope all of that helps. Know that it's totally normal to be lonely and homesick in college, even when you're surrounded by people! You will find amazing friends to talk with about it and find some things that worked for you. Usually all it takes is finding something else to put your mind on.

5. Everyone is trying to be better than they were.

No one wants to be the same person they were in high school, and everyone has expectations of who they are going to be in college. But remember, old habits die hard. For me, I wanted to be a less gossip-y, more positive person. I was great for the first month, but when the stress came, I was Negative Nancy again. You might find that with yourself (I hope you don't). But you're definitely going to see that with other people and wonder why high school never ended. Be kind to others knowing they have stuff they're working on too.

6. Fake it 'til you become it.

The best way to change yourself is to try to fit those qualities you desire in yourself. The most common example I've noticed is with confidence. How do you become confident when you're stuck with yourself literally 24 hours a day, seven days a week? This TED talk is one of my favorites. It's aimed towards women, but applies to men too. She says to "fake it until you become it." That's the only way to become who you want to be. Just remember to be genuine to yourself and others.

7. Changing yourself is an eternal process. It's not all gonna happen in one semester.

As I mentioned earlier, I was disappointed at first with the progress I made in summer term. I got home feeling pretty sad because I hadn't accomplished everything I wanted to in the two months I was there. But then I remembered the progress I had made on many of my personal goals. I also remembered that it took me a long time to make changes I wanted to make when I was in my early teens, and now I'm everything I wanted to be then (and more). You're already one step ahead by making goals for your first term. Be easy on yourself when you're actually trying to achieve them. Really, becoming the person you want to be will take the rest of your life. As long as you're on the road to becoming better and putting in real effort, you're golden. Be patient and let yourself learn along the way.

8. Nothing is really going to be the same after you go to college.

You're going to come home and find that things are different since you've been gone. The neighbor's have painted their house, and the gas station has closed. But more than that, your parents might have made new traditions. Your room might be in boxes. I had a friend who came home to no bed and has to sleep with his little brother for the break. Allow yourself some time before you leave home to say goodbye to everything. As cheesy as it sounds, it's nice. You're now starting your life as kind of an adult now. That's pretty scary! Look around and appreciate the time you've had with everything. Not remorsefully or longing for more, but appreciate the memories associated with everything and everyone around you, and then let it go. Be ready for new memories. Don't be that guy still living in high school even when he's in his forties. Be happy with the childhood you've had and let yourself move on.

9. There are some killer deals for students.

Enough of the mushy gushy! We're starving students here. Bring your ID card wherever you go and ask if they have discounts for students. You might be surprised! I've gotten lots of free drinks and fries through my ID card. Some stores have student discounts too, like Ann Taylor, where you can get 20% off your purchase with your school ID.

LunchBox is a great app on the iPhone for finding free food. You can select what university you're attending, and people will post events where you can get free food. I went to an IT conference in the summer, but I'm a journalism major. I totally wasn't going to learn about IT, I was going for lots of free pizza, but I also learned some interesting stuff! Kill two birds with one stone.

If you use Spotify, they have student accounts that are half off. Yeah, that's right. I didn't learn about this until two weeks ago, and I was SO pumped. See, ten bucks a month is outrageous to me. But lower that price to five bucks a month, and I'm totally down. I could give up a burger meal every month for unlimited free music without ads or limits.

Also, we've all heard of Amazon Prime. But for students, you can get a free trial for six months. This is awesome, because it's all the benefits of Amazon Prime without the price, meaning you can get rush shipping on lots of books (which tend to be cheaper on Amazon compared to your university's bookstore) for less than regular shipping. And after this six month period, your Amazon Prime account will cost $10/month compared to $20. If you refer others to this service, you'll get money taken off of that. So it's pretty cool! At least for that six month trial period. NOTE: Using the link here does give me money for referring you at no cost to you, but if you would rather not, I'm cool with it, you can also just google Amazon Prime Student and you'll find the deal.

10. There are some killer resources for students.

Go to your school's new student orientation. Yeah, it seem like a waste of time for you, but you get free stuff, meet people, have fun, and learn lots about your school. I would have been lost on campus if it weren't for NSO.
Try talking to your RAs or older friends at school. They might have some fun tips to class. I learned where the best spots to hammock are, great date night deals, and fun places to go on campus through my mentors, RAs, and older friends.
Say what you will about Pinterest, but there are some awesome places to find tons of blog posts for students! I've learned a lot through Pinterest, actually. Take a look at my college board! I think it rocks, I'm not biased or anything;)

Well, good luck with school guys! If you have any questions, want additional tips, or just want to add to what I've said, don't be afraid to talk to me through social media or in comments! I'd be happy to help. Happy studies!