Twelve weeks ago, before starting The Becoming Project, I was a completely different person. I was sad, depressed, indecisive, stressed, unhappy, I didn’t love myself and I wasn’t who I wanted to be. Over the last twelve weeks, I have come closer to the Savior through in-depth study of the scriptures, activities and challenges that have led me to know who I truly am: a beloved daughter of God.

Growing up in the environment that I did, left me feeling unwanted, unloved, that I didn’t belong and that I was never good enough, no matter how hard I tried. This left me broken and hurt. I believed that I was worthless and not worthy to be loved.  Over the past few years, situations and experiences have increased these feelings even more. 

When I found out about The Becoming Project, I realized that this would be the perfect opportunity for me to erase all the bad, and untrue, feelings I have about myself. I wanted to take this opportunity to focus on, discover, and to know who I really am in Heavenly Father’s eyes. I decided that my Becoming Project was to feel Heavenly Father’s love for me. I knew that He loved everyone else, I just didn’t believe that He could love ME. In 1 Nephi 11:22-23,  it reads “…yea, it is the love of God that sheddeth abroad in the hearts in the children of men; wherefore it is the most desirable above all things…Yea, and most joyous to the soul”. This scripture says that feeling God’s love is the greatest desire you can have and brings the greatest joy to your soul. This is what I wanted, and needed, for myself.

First thing I did for my Project was learn to love myself. I chose this as the first step, because in order to believe that someone could love me, I would first have to love myself, so I would believe that I was worthy of such love.

I was really bad at putting myself down and telling myself things like: “I’m so dumb and stupid”, “I ruin and mess up everything”. I apologized for everything. I was ALWAYS saying “sorry”, even if there was no reason to be “sorry”. It seemed like I was even saying “sorry” for breathing. Because of this, my first step to loving myself was to stop tearing myself down, and start building myself up. I changed the way I thought and talked about myself. I started saying things like “I am good enough” and “I did a great job”, etc. With this change, I began to feel differently about myself.

The second thing I did to love myself was to look in the mirror and say something positive about myself. This was hard to do in the beginning because I hated looking in the mirror. Since I didn’t like who I was, I didn’t like looking at myself. But as time went on, and as I started liking myself more, the easier it was to look at myself in the mirror.

The third thing I did was to write inspirational quotes on the mirror. These quotes usually came from the General Authorities. Seeing these quotes everyday, helped me a lot, especially during those moments when I forgot to love myself.

As I took these steps, I began to notice a change. One of the things I noticed was that I began to be more confident in myself. Before, I was very unconfident in myself. I also hated making decisions because I always worried that I would make a wrong choice. Even getting me to decide on something as small as where to eat took me forever to decide. As I worked on loving myself more, I noticed that I was more confident in myself. I also noticed that making decisions was easier as well. Doctrine & Covenants 121:45 says “Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God…” When it says “Charity to all men”, it’s not just meaning loving others, but it also means loving yourself. When you love yourself, then you will gain confidence.

I wasn’t the only one who noticed a change. My sister and brother-in-law also noticed a big difference too. Thy made several remarks about how happier I was and that I didn’t stress out in situations that normally would have sent me into panic mode.

After loving myself, my next goal was to show love to others. I have always loved helping and serving others, so loving others was easy to do. Mosiah 2: 17 reads “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God”.

The first goal I had was to talk to, and get to know, someone I didn’t know. I had recently moved to a new town, so meeting someone new wasn’t going to be hard. The hard part, the thing that would get me out of my comfort zone, was actually going up to someone and talking to them. I’m usually a shy person and I wait for others to come to me. For this project, I committed myself to be the one to go up and start the conversation. For this part of the project, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet, and get to know, a lady from my ward, Glenna Green.

As I was thinking about who I wanted to get to know better, I was called to be an Assistant Cub Scout Leader over the Bears. Glenna was my companion. She was also just called as my Visiting Teacher. Because we work closely together, I have had many opportunities to talk with and to serve her. She has many medical problems, and is unable to drive very far, so I often give her rides. Because she loves to talk, I have gotten to know her really well. Although she is several years older than I am, we have formed a close relationship to where we can call eachother at any time for any reason.

Another activity I did to show love to others was to offer “free hugs” to others. My sister, Amber, and I went to a custom t-shirt shop and had shirts made that said “Free Hugs” on them. When we received the shirts, we went out around town wearing them and holding up signs. In the 4 hours that we did this, we gave away many hugs to people. Some of the people we did this for were very grateful for the hugs. They had been having a bad day, and receiving a hug had made their day better. Amber and I really felt good doing this project. We will do it again someday soon.

Another project I did was to try something new. I had always wanted to play the guitar, so, as part of the Becoming Project, I started teaching myself how to play. I have been watching videos on YouTube and reading instruction books to teach me. Although my playing shows that I’m just starting out, with more practice, I will continue to get better.

As I have come to love myself, and others, and as I have studied the scriptures more in-depth than I ever have before, I have become more like the Savior.

One way I am more like Him is that I am happier than I have been in a long time, if ever. I have noticed, and so have others, that I smile and laugh more. Smiling and laughing feels so good. I really missed them. I’m sure Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love to smile and laugh too. And I’m sure they smile and laugh at the same things that make us smile and laugh. 2 Nephi 2: 25 “Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy”. Heavenly Father wants us to be happy and joyful. That the reason we are here, so we have all the joy that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ has.

Another way that I am seeing that I am becoming more like Christ is that I am more patient. Normally I would stress out if things weren’t going exactly right. I was also really worried about finding a husband and having kids, and really worried about what to do with my life. As I was doing my scripture studies a few months ago, I found a scripture that really helped me. It’s Habakkuk 2: 3-4 “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry…the just shall live by his faith.” When I read this, it really hit me. It told me that If I endure to the end, EVERYTHING I have been promised WILL come to pass, even if it seems like they will never come, they will come. Whether in this life or the next, they will come.

Another way I have become more like Christ, is that I am relying on the Holy Ghost more. In most situations, before, I would stress and think that everything was all on me. In school I would stress because I thought that coming up with answers for tests and essays, ect, were all dependent upon ME remembering. I forgot that, if I did all I could do, then I have the help from the Holy Ghost, who would “bring all things to (my) remembrance”. As I have been relying on the Holy Ghost, I am calmer and I am better able to hear His still small voice. Assignments and other things in my life come easier to me now because I’m not relying on myself to get things done.

There are many other areas where I have become more like Christ. Even with all of these, there are still other areas that I will continue to work on. As I continue to improve myself, then I will become even more like Christ. I can’t wait to see what will happen in the future as I continue to work on the Becoming Project.

It is once again time for a new post. Once again, I have learned alot over the last two weeks since the last update. In my Life Skills class, I learned about Personal Finances and Family Relationships. In my Book of Mormon class, we studied Mosiah 4-Alma 7 (yes, that IS a lot of chapters). There is amazing things in those chapters.

First off, for my Life Skills class, we talked about how to be financially stable and in what ways to be financially stable. We talked about how being financially stable brings peace into the home.  Some of the ways to become financially stable is: Pay an honest tithing, spend less than you earn, live within your means, grow a garden, use a budget, get an education, and teach children early.

The only things that you should go in to debt is for: a modest home, education, a modest car. We should not go into debt for any other reason. We should have enough money in our savings account to cover for unexpected expenses. It is also suggested that you keep out cash, just in case you are unable to have access to your accounts. It is also a good idea to put a portion of each paycheck into  your savings account.

This week we talked about family relationships. We talked about how important families are and how we need to treat our family members with love, kindness and compassion.

One of the things we studies was "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". It is amazing that although it was written 20 years ago, the things that are contained in the Proclamation, are things that we are fighting for now. Throughout the world the sacredness of families are increasingly being threatened. Views on the family are increasingly being changed. What once was considered the norm just a few years ago, is now becoming more and more a rarity.

One of the things that struck me this week was a quote from President Eyring from his talk "Help Them On Their Way Home".  This talk is about the importance of teaching small children. One of the things he said was, "In those precious years the Lord helps families by calling Primary Workers to help strengthen children spiritually". My current callings in my ward are as a Primary Worker over the 4 year olds and as a Cub Scout Leader over the 9 year olds. This quote made me realize that I am more than just a teacher. I have a vital role in helping the children I teach to lay a foundation of faith, that will last them throughout their lives. That is a big responsibility.

One of the things I learned as I studied for my Book of Mormon class was from Elder Oaks. We were studying about Taking Upon Us the Name of Christ. Elder Oaks brought to my attention, "It is significant that when we partake of the Sacrament, we do not witness that we take upon us the name of Christ, we witness that we are WILLING to take upon us the name of Christ. The fact that we only witness to our willingness suggests that something else must also happen before we actually take upon us that sacred name. The willingness to take upon His name, means we are willing to take upon us the authority of Jesus Christ. This means that when we partake of the Sacrament, we witness our willingness to participate in the sacred ordinances of the temple, and to receive the highest blessings available".

I never noticed that in the Sacrament prayers that it said "willing". I always just thought that it said/meant that we WERE taking upon ourselves His name. I also never realized that when we partake of the Sacrament, that we are taking upon ourselves willingness to participate in temple work. It goes to show you how important temples and temple work actually is.

Something else that was brought to my attention this week, that is often overlooked, is what happened with King Mosiah and his people. When he was getting ready to appoint a new king, he made a proposal to his people instead. He suggested, that instead of appointing another king, he suggested to appoint judges, chosen by the people, instead.

He suggested this for several reasons. One reason he suggested this because, if an unrighteous king was made ruler, then he would drag all of his people down with him into sin. He brought up the account of King Noah, and how wicked of a king he was and how he destroyed his people. "How much iniquity doth one wicked king cause".

Another reason he suggest that the people appoint judges instead of kings is because "it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right. When the day comes when a majority of the people choose inequity, then their iniquities shall be answered upon their heads".

With election season upon us, this is a great lesson on why it is so important for us to partake in our voting privilege. Our church leaders urge us to go out and vote. They encourage us to vote for the candidates that most closely resembles our ideals. Voting is one of the ways we raise our voices. It is how the "voice of the people" is made known. If we don't vote, then our "voice" won't be heard, nor will it be counted.

There was so many things that I learned over the last few weeks, I was only able to write about a small portion of them. I hope you enjoyed this post. I will be back to write again soon.

It is time once again for another update. As usual, I have learned a lot since the last update two weeks ago. I have decided for this post, instead of posting everything I have learned, I think I will just post the highlights, that way it's not quite so long of a read.

For the last two weeks in my Life Skills class, I have been studying about Self-Reliance and Work. President Romney said in his talk entitled "Self-Reliance is tied very closely to freedom it's self". When you depend upon others for support, you usually "sign a contract", either an actual contract or implied contract. By signing this "contract", you agree to live by the rules THEY have set. You are "bound" to them. You are not "free to act for yourself". You are not free to live by your rules. Being Self-Reliant, and not depending on anyone else, releases you from this "contract", and you are free to live how you want to live. You are not bound by anyone elses rules.

Later on in the same talk, President Romney talked about how being self-reliant allows you to serve others. He said "self-reliance...is the prerequisite to service...without self-reliance one cannot exercise these innate desires to serve. How can we give if there is nothing to give? Food for the hungry cannot come from empty shelves. Money to assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse. Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved. Teaching cannot come from the unlearned. And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come from the spiritually weak".

President Romney also talked about those who do need assistance. He said, "pride should not prevent us from graciously accepting the helping hand of another when we have a real need. To do so denies another person the opportunity to participate in a sanctifying experience." When we need help with something, we are to accept the help with gratitude. When we don't accept the help we need, we not only get the help that we need, but we also deny the other person the blessings that come from serving others. We should not let pride, or anything else stand in the way of us getting the help that we need.

In "Living the Principles of Self-Reliance", it says that being self-reliant, doesn't mean that we lose our dependence upon the Lord or upon eachother. "Self-reliance should not be mistaken for complete independence. After all, we are ultimately dependent upon our Heavenly Father for everything. We need His continual guidance, preservation, and protection. We also depend on one another. Since we are given different spiritual gifts, we are expected to share what we have been given so that all may be blessed. The key is to become self-reliant..."

This week in Life Skills, we learned about the principle of Work, and the blessing it is in our lives. After Adam ate the Fruit from The Tree of Life, God told him "cursed is the ground for they sake". Heavenly Father commanded Adam to work for his needs because He knew the blessings that come from hard work.

In his October 2010 General Conference talk entitled "Reflections of a Consecrated Life", Elder D. Todd Christofferson said "God has designed this mortal existance to require nearly constant exertion...by work we sustain and enrich life. It enables us to survive the disappointments and tragedies of the mortal experience. Hard earned achievement brings a sense of self-worth. Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God. A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers and aspires."

In D&C 58:27, it reads "Verily I say unto you, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and to bring about much righteousness". This scripture states that we are commanded not only to BE good, but to also DO good. We are to be active participants in bringing about righteousness. It's not enough to just be good. We need to be out in our communities and be doing righteous things.

This week we also learned the difference between "leisure" and "idleness". Again from Elder D. Todd Christofferson's talk, he said "Just as honest toil gives rest it's sweetness, wholesome recreation is the friend and steadying companion of work. Music, literature, art, dance, drama, athletics-all can provide entertainment to enrich ones' life and to further consecrate it". Leisure activities are enriching, they benefit your life, they are positive, productive, it's time that is earned, it has purpose, it is a treat, and they refresh and renew your spirit.

On the other hand, idle activities are the opposite. When you are being idle, it is not enriching your life, your mind is numb because your mind is not engaged, you are not being productive, and you are wasting your time on things that don't matter. Also, when you are being idle, you have "lost opportunities". You could have received answers to prayers or been an answer to someone elses prayer. You could have had opportunities to grow. Sometimes I think about all the "lost opportunities" that I have had when I have been idle. There are so many things in my life that might have happened if only I wasn't being idle.

In the "For Strength of Youth" pamphlet, it states "The Lord has command us not to be idle. Idleness can lead inappropriate behavior, damaged relationships, and sin. One form of idleness is spending excessive amounts of time in activities that keep you from productive work, such as using the internet, playing video games, and watching TV".

I know that I haven't valued self-reliance and  work as much as I should have. Because of this, I have missed out on so many opportunities that I could have had. I commit myself to being better at being self-reliant and to better appreciate work.

For the last two weeks in my Book of Mormon class, we studied Jacob-Mosiah 3. As always, there are a lot of cool things in these chapters. There are so many, that I can't write down everything. So, once again, I will just give you the highlights.

One of the things I learned was the importance of hope. You always here the scriptures that say "Faith, Hope, Love..." We are always having lessons on the importance of faith and love, but you don't have too many lessons on hope. I always thought that hope was more of a wish, like you "hope for something to happen". I learned that hope is much more than "wishing". "Hope is born of faith through experience. As we see God's hands in our lives, we gain hope. Hope is confidence or expectation that God will follow through. As we act, our faith becomes grounded. It becomes unshaken because of hope. Hope leads us to confidence that all things will work together for our good". Amazing things happen because of hope.

Another thing that was emphasized during my studies these last two weeks was the importance of families. Jacob 2: 35, 3:5,7, it says that even with all the bad things the Lamanites have done, they are more righteous than the Nephites because they love their families. The Nephites "broke the hearts" of their wives and their children. The Lamanites on the other hand, continued to keep their family relationships sacred. The husbands loved their wives. The wives loved their husbands. And the husbands and the wives loved their children. Love within families must be important if that is all that makes the Lamanites more righteous than the Nephites.

This week I learned a lot about Enos and how to gain the same faith that he had. Elder Hales talk "Finding Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ", gives step by step instructions on how we too can have the same faith.
     1. Enos was taught by his father. Being taught by parents gives you an example you can rely on and trust. Being taught while you are young builds a foundation that will strengthen you throughout your life.
     2. Enos let the teachings of his father sink deep into his heart. When you hear the words of your parents, they touch you.
     3. He was filled with a desire to know for himself. Because he "hungered", Enos qualified himself to receive the Savior's promise of being filled with the Holy Ghost.
    4. Enos obeyed the commandments of God. We need to be obedient to the commandments so we can have the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
    5. Enos keeled down in mighty prayer. He prayed all day and into the night. He prayed not only for his own welfare, but for the welfare of others as well.

We ourselves can't have Enos like faith, without Enos like effort. It won't come easy, and it won't come right away, but when we put effort and work into it, we too can gain the same faith that Enos had.

Also in Enos, we learn the value of work. The Nephites "worked diligenlty", while the Lamanites "were lead by their evil nature that they became wild, ferocious, and blood thirsty people, full of idolatry and filthiness..." Because the Nephites worked, they kept themselves away from sin. On the other hand, because the Lamanites were idol, they became sinful.

Another thing that caught my eye about Enos was what he prayed for. First he prayed for himself. But after he prayed for himself, he prayed for others. He prayed for the welfare of the souls for his brethren the Nephites and the Lamanites. He then covenanted with Heavenly Father that records would be preserved so that, at some future date, the Lamanites would once again be converted back to the truth. This thing that he prayed for were for many many many many many generations after his time. This got me thinking, how often do I pray for my future generations? My children and grandchildren will be alive during the Second Coming, what would happen if I pray for them? What if I prayed to Heavenly Father for Him to watch over my children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, etc?

Like I said, this was only tiny bit of everything I learned these last two weeks. I can't wait to see what I learn next. Have a great day!!!

It's time for another update. Once again, I have learned so much in the two weeks since I last updated. In my Life Skills class we learned about Time Management and Information Literacy and Academic Resources. In my Book of Mormon class our scripture block for the two weeks was 2 Nephi 17-33.

For the Time Management lesson, we learned how most of us spend more of our time on things that don't matter and less time on things that matter the most. We leaned the difference between "spending" our time and "investing" our time. When you "invest", you usually receive something of greater value than what you put in. When you "spend", you receive something of lesser value in return for what you put in.

Investing money in an education, a modest house and car, etc, you usually get more value out of it, then what you put into it. When you spend money on extravagant clothing, an overly priced car, a bigger house than you need, the latest and greatest gadgets and gizmos, etc, you are wasting your money on things that you didn't need too. Spending more money than you needed too, usually leave you losing out. You usually don't get your money's worth on these items.

Just like with money, you can "invest" your time, or you can "spend" your time. Investing your time means that you are focusing your time on the things that matter the most to you: family, friends, education, etc.Investing your time on what matters most, will increase their value and you will get more back than what you put in.

 When you "spend" your time, you are focusing your time on things that don't matter and aren't important: TV, video games, when you become a workaholic, leisure activities, etc., you are wasting time on things that don't matter. This will leave you losing all the valuable things you had, and would have had more if you would have given them more of your time and energy.

Here are some quotes from the lesson that I loved:

"The way we spend our time will only change when the way we feel about time changes" Elder Neal A. Maxwell.
This is so true. It is only when we realize how precious and how sacred time is, that we will stop "spending" our time on the things that don't matter, and start "investing" our time on the things that matter most.

"Wise time management is really management of ourselves". President Kimball
The way we spend our time says a lot about who we are and what is important to us. What we spend our time doing and who we spend our time with, is an outward expression of who we are on the inside.

"Procrastination is the thief of self-respect. It nags at us an spoils our fun. It deprives us of the fullest realization of our ambitions and hopes". Elder Ballard
 When we procrastinate something, like a school project that is due in a month, eventually that thing we are procrastinating, will eventually control us instead of you controlling it. For instance, when you put off doing that school project long enough, it is eventually going to have to take top priority in your life, no matter what other obligations or needs you or your family have. You are not going to be able to see your son score the winning home run in his base ball game because you had to stay home to do your project. You aren't going to be able to hear your daughter say her lines (perfectly) in her school play, because you had to miss it because you had to finish your project. You are unable to help a friend in need because you need to work on your project. These situations could have been avoided if you would have gotten on your project right away instead of procrastinating.

For the Information Literacy and Academic Resources lesson, we not only learned about "truth", we learned what are the best resources to find the truth. We first read President Uchtdorf's talk "What is Truth?".  In his talk, he said "The invitation to trust the Lord does not relieve us from the responsibility to know for ourselves. This is more than an opportunity; it is an obligation—and it is one of the reasons we were sent to this earth." This means that we are all required to know for ourselves what is truth. We are expected to seek out truth and to seek out to know if it is true.

Also during the lesson, we watched some videos. One of the videos I like the most was called "Potluck Dinner". The video taught that, just like it would be taboo to show up to a potluck dinner without contributing by bringing something to share, it is not good to come to class without being prepared. If you aren't prepared, then you can't contribute to the discussion. Also it means that others miss out on what you could have contributed if you would have come prepared.

Although this video focused mostly on how important it is to come prepared to class, what really hit me about this video was at the very end when it said "Don't Hold Back! Share Your Dish".

I, along with my sister and some of her in-laws, have a "Scripture Study" discussion board, where we discuss insights into what we are learning in our various scripture readings and studies. Although I check it several times a day to see what others are saying, I don't participate in the discussions as much as I should. I don't participate in the discussion because I feel like my comments aren't "good enough" or aren't "significant" enough to contribute to or enhance the discussion. I feel this way because, although other peoples comments were getting a lot of feedback, my posts were hardly getting any. 

Seeing that quote at the end of the video, made me realize that my comments are good enough and that they are significant, and they do add to the conversation. Even though I am not getting the feedback that others are getting, my comments are still contributing, no matter how small and insignificant they may  appear to me, they might be just what someone else needs to hear, whether they comment on it or not. It's not the feedback, but the contribution that matters. My voice deserves to be heard. My voice NEEDS to be heard.

Another video I loved was called "Above All Else".  The words of President Uchtdorf were very powerful. In an earlier lesson we were taught how important it was to add faith to our studying. When President Uchtdorf quoted D&C 88:118, "seek learning, even by study and also by faith", the Spirit really emphasized to me how important faith is to our studies. Sometimes when people study, they get stressed because they think that it's all on them. They think that they have to remember everything. They think that when a test comes, that they are all on their own. 

We need to remember that If we attended all our classes and came prepared ahead of time...if we studied...if we completed all assignments and and readings...if we have done all that we can do, we are PROMISED that we will receive help and guidance from the Holy Ghost. We need to have faith, that when the test comes, the Spirit will be there to "bring all things to your remembrance". We need to have faith that we are not on our own.

Like I said before, for my Book of Mormon class we studied 2 Nephi 17-33. A lot of these chapters were teachings from Isaiah. Although I tried my very best, I had a hard time understanding them. But I still learned a lot from studying these chapters and watching the videos that tied into what I was studying.

In his talk, "A Defense and a Refuge", President Packer said, "It was not what they (the pioneers) possessed that gave them strength, but what they knew". The pioneers walked over 1,000 miles to get to the Salt Lake Valley, and their possessions consisted of only what they could carry. They all left practically everything that they had, and some, even left everyone that they had. They left everything behind because they knew that they were doing what they were suppose to be doing. They knew that this was the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Just like the pioneers, it's the knowledge that we posses, that will give us strength to endure during times of trial and heartache.

In 2Nephi 21: 2-4, it says "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge...He shall not judge after the sight of the eyes , neither reprove after the hearing of His ears. But with righteousness shall He judge...And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins".  This gives me a lot of comfort because these verses are saying that He isn't going to judge me how others are going to judge me. Some people judge others based on what they look like, or what they say, ect. But Christ doesn't judge after the manner of men. His judgments are righteous. He is going to judge with compassion and love. He is going to judge with kindness and understanding. He understands because He's been where we are. He knows what we went through.

In 2Nephi 29, it talks about why we need the Book of Mormon when we already have a Bible. Some of the reasons include:
-The Book of Mormon is a testimony that Heavenly Father remembers all of His children.
-The Book of Mormon shows that Heavenly Father is the same yesterday, today and forever.
-The Bible doesn't contain all of His words because parts were taken out, truths were lost and misinterpreted.
-Heavenly Father commands all of His children to write the words He speaks.
-The Book of Mormon is another witness that He loves all of His children and that none are lost unto Him.
-We are going to be judged out of these books.
-The Book of Mormon is another witness of Him. "Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established".
-His work isn't complete and won't be complete until the end of man.
-The Book of Mormon will show all those who fight against Zion, that He is God.
-The Bible was written for God's ancient covenant people. The Book of Mormon was written for OUR DAY. The writers of the Book of Mormon saw the world we would be living in TODAY. They were commanded to write the things that would "be of worth" to US.
-EVERY word, in the Book of Mormon is there for a reason.

It is getting late right now. I will come back and update this post some more. I hope you enjoy it. Bye for now. 

Hello Everyone,

It's been 2 weeks since the last update, which, of course means this post will probably be another long one since I'll be telling you what I have learned in that time. In my Life Skills class, I learned about academic planning and career exploration, decision making and goal setting. In my Book of Mormon class, I studied 2 Nephi 1-16.

When I noticed that the lesson for my Life Skills class was about academic planning and career exploration, I was both nervous and excited. I was nervous because it was a lesson that was basically asking you "What do you want to be when you grow up"? I was nervous about that question because I had been asking myself the same question for years now, and had not come up with an answer. Well, not entirely true...I knew what I wanted to be, it's just that what I wanted, wasn't an option. So, I had to think of what else I wanted to do. Unfortunately, I had no answer. I would spend hours looking at various careers, but not really finding anything that interested me.

Although I was nervous, I was also excited. Maybe this lesson would help me find an answer. Maybe this lesson would give me ideas on what I might be good at. Maybe this lesson would give me direction and guidance. Maybe I would finally know what I wanted to be.

As I was skimming the lesson, I realized that it involved taking an interest profiler test. This made me nervous again. As I have been looking for careers that might interest me, I have taken many different types of these tests. All of them ended up telling me that I would make a great teacher or therapists/counselor. Although all the tests said that I would be great at those careers, I just wasn't interested in either of them. What if this test told me the same thing? What if, like all of the other tests I ever took, this test also said "teacher" and/or "therapist/counselor"? What would I do then? Would I just give up and go into one of those careers, a career that I was not interested in? But, maybe, just maybe, this test will be different? Maybe this test will give me more options then just the two that all the other tests gave me? Maybe this test will give me the direction I need? Maybe after this test, I will have the answer to a question I had been asking myself for years? Maybe?

The time came to take the O*Net Online Interest Profiler. The test listed 60 various activities and you had to say how interested in that activity you were. You had to answer the questions without thinking. After answering all the questions, you received scores in 6 categories based on your answers and personality. The categories are: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional.

Those with Realistic personalities are practical and like hands-on problems and answers. Investigative personalities like to investigate and they like working with ideas and thinking. Artistic personalities like being creative and being allowed to be "free". Social personalities like working with others. Enterprising personalities like working in business'. Conventional personalities like procedures and routines. The test said that my two biggest personality traits were Artistic and Social. This wasn't a surprise to me because I love being creative and being around others.

After receiving your scores in each of the personalities, it gave you "Job Zones". Job Zones let you know what level of education and prior experience you need in order to get a job in a field you were interested in. After Job Zones, the test gave you a long list of careers for each personality. Some of the possible careers for Artistic personalities include: dancers, photographer, self enrichment teacher, makeup artists, nanny, film and video editor, architect,  art director, multimedia artists, music director, reporter/correspondent, video game designer, anthropologist and   astronaut. Some of the careers it listed for Social personality include: concierge, fitness trainer, nanny, residential advisory, tutor, criminal justice, engineer, forest and conservation, librarian, and social worker.

After taking the test and reviewing the answers, I explored the careers from the list. After awhile, I decided that I wanted to study American Studies (US History) at BYU-Provo. I love studying US history and it was one of my favorite subjects in school. I still don't know what career to go into, but a History degree opens up many options for me. I am so excited that now I have a direction. Now, I just have to be accepted into BYU.

At Gathering that week, we talked about our character traits. One of the things that was said that really struck me was "Our traits and talents are the same traits and talents that our Heavenly Father has. Our talents and traits are pieces of Himself that He has given to us". I never thought about that. I knew that traits and talents are gifts from Heavenly Father, but I never thought about them being pieces of Himself.

This week in Life Skills we studied about Decision Making and Goal Setting. This was another lesson I really need too. I am horrible at making decisions and setting goals. This lesson talked about using our agency to make correct choices. In the April 2004 General Conference, President Faust said "Tomorrow's blessings and opportunities depend on the choices we make today". Many of the choices we make today, not only effect the "here and now", but they also have an effect on our future. And not just our future, but can effect the future of those around us.

In the Preach My Gospel manual, it states "Goals reflect the desires of our hearts and our vision of what we can accomplish. Through goals and plans, our hopes are transformed into action. Goal setting and planning are acts of faith". Goals are the outward expression of what we want on the inside. The desires of our hearts are our destinations and goals are the pathway we take to get to the destination.

In "Leadership for Saints", Roger Dunkin and Ed Pinegar said, "The best goals are S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. stands for the five characteristics of well-designed goals".
Specific-What will be the specific result of your goal? What are the specific steps needed to achieve it? Does it sound vague or too general in any way?
Measurable- Do you have a way to measure your progress? When will you review your progress?
Attainable- Will you be able to achieve this goal? What are the reasons you believe you can accomplish this goal? Have you talked with someone who has accomplished this goal or a similar goal?
Relevant- Does this goal fit in with your larger goals and your eternal purpose?
Time-Bound- Do you have a specific date this goal should be achieved? Is there a time frame that you will work in to accomplish this goal?

In my Book of Mormon class, the last two weeks we studied 2 Nephi 1-16. There are a lot of teachings and lessons in these chapters. Some of the lessons and teachings include: this is a choice and promised land, we are free to make our own choices, but there are consequences for every choice, and the Atonement.

As I have been studying the last few weeks, I have come across many scriptures that I like and have gained many insights. Here are a few of them:

-My new favorite scripture that I came across is Habakkuk 2:3-4- "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it: because it will surely come, it will not tarry...the just shall live by his faith".  This reminds me of Neil A. Maxwell's quote "Faith in God includes faith in His timing".  Sometimes we may think that the blessings we want most in the world, will never come. But if we remain faithful and continue to have faith in Him, then the blessings WILL come. They may or may not come in this lifetime, but they WILL come. It gives me hope that someday I will receive the desires of my heart. I just have to have faith in Him and His timing.

-2 Nephi 1:21,23- "...arise from the dust...and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things...awake...put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which you are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust". To me these verses sound like a battle cry. A cry to take a stand for righteousness. A cry to be steadfast and unmovable.

-2 Nephi 9: 20- "O how great the holiness of our God! For He knoweth all things and there is not anything save He knows it". It is so comforting to know that our Heavenly Father knows EVERYTHING. Because He knows everything, we can turn to Him for EVERYTHING. He will lead us and guide us to safety.

-2 Nephi 9:39- "...Spiritually Minded Is Life Eternal". The SMILE scripture. I was first introduced to the SMILE scripture by my trainer on my mission. I have loved it ever since. It is so true. When your mind is on the spiritual things of life, then you will really will SMILE because you will be focusing on the bigger picture and not just what is here and now.

  -2Nephi 9:21- "...He suffereth the pains...of every creature, both men women and children..." In order for Him to have had  to suffer the pains of everone, He needed to have KNOWN us...intimately.  He would have had to KNOW EVERYTHING about us. No one else on Earth KNOWS us better than He does. He knows us better than our own parents, siblings, best friends, and even better than we know ourselves.

In President Packer's talk "Do Not Fear", he talks about trials. One thing he said was "This testing (our trials) is the source of our strength". I never thought about that. I never thought that my strength is because of the trials I have overcome. It is true. We do not become strong when things are easy. We only become stronger, as we press forward in our adversities.

These are just a small number of things I have learned over the last few weeks. I hope you learned something too.

Lifelong Learning

Time for another update on what I'm learning in Pathway.

This post will include what learned this week in my Life Skills class and what I learned this week and last week in my Book of Mormon class.

This week in Life Skills, we learned about the importance of being a lifelong learner and using technology wisely. It is important to gain as much knowledge as you can while you are here on Earth, because the things you learn down here, is what you get to take with you when you leave. In his April 2009 Ensign article, entitled "Learning and Latter-Day Saints", Elder Oaks said "We must choose learning with care because learning has an eternal shelf-life, and whatever useful knowledge or wisdom or 'principle of intelligence' we acquire in this life will rise with us in the resurrection (D&C 130:18)".

As part of the lesson, we read some articles and watched some videos. The first article we read was Bishop Henry B. Eyring's "Do What They Think You Can't Do" from the October 1989 New Era. In the article he mentioned three keys to being a lifelong learner: 
1. There is no limit to your potential for learning as a Child of God.
2. Childlike humility is the key to teachableness.
3. Living a clean life will allow the Holy Ghost to confirm and expand learning.

"As a Child of God, your destiny, if you work hard enough and are faithful, is to become like Him. That means that there is no truth that you can't learn, because He knows all truth". This means that Heavenly Father will help us with ANYTHING we want to learn, whether it's art, music, hobbies, crafts, school, job, etc. He will help, because he knows everything there is to know about everything. If you have the desire, and put forth the effort to learn it, there is NOTHING that He won't teach you. Also, if you have the desire and put forth the effort, and if what you want to know is a righteous desire, He will also provide a way for you to be able to learn it, whether it's providing a way for you go to school or take a class, or by putting people in your path who could teach you, etc. God is mightier than anything and anyone. He is able to teach you ALL things, as long you exercise faith in Him.

Elder Eyring's father use to say "You know, sometimes I think God watches me and laughs at me as I struggle like a little child. Someday I will be with Him and He will show me how childlike my ideas were". This statement showed that he knew that he didn't know everything, and that he was humble enough to be teachable. Last week in class we learned about leading with a small "L". Just as you can be a leader with a small "L", you can also be a learner with a small "L": humble, teachable, have the desire and attitude that you can learn, etc. Also, as you learn, don't put yourself down. Learners need their teachers to build them up, that includes yourself.

The Holy Ghost is essential for true learning. It is the Holy Ghost that teaches us new things, testifies of truth and "brings all things to our remembrance". He also nudges us in the direction of truth and brings ideas to your mind. As you continue to listen to Him, He will add to our capacity learn. Since the Holy Ghost is so vital to true learning, it is very important for us to remain worth of His constant companionship.

The second article we read was the first chapter of Henry J. Eyring's book "Major Decisions". In this chapter, he states "Part of the tragedy we must avoid is to discover too late that you missed an opportunity to prepare for a future only God could see for you." We, as humans, think we know "the end from the beginning" and we think we know what the "plan" is for our lives. We forget that we have a loving Heavenly Father who DOES know "the end from the beginning" and He has a bigger plan for our lives...bigger than we can even imagine. He knows where we need to be and who we need to be in order to accomplish what only WE can do. He also places us where we need to be in order to learn the things we need to learn. If we don't take full advantage of every opportunity that crosses our path, then we run the risk of having a "missed opportunity to prepare for a future only God can see". Some of these missed opportunities could be: not learning a different language when you had the opportunity, miss out on learning an instrument, not developing or increasing your talents and not developing a relationship with someone Heavenly Father puts in you path.

Sometimes the plans we have for ourselves and the plans Heavenly Father has for us take us in different directions. Sometimes we WANT something, like we want to go to a certain school, or live in a certain city, or work at a certain job or career. Heavenly Father, on the other hand, pulls us in a different direction to where He knows we NEED to be, like going to a different school than where you wanted to go, live in a city you never thought you would move to, or work at a job or a career you never considered. As we put our trust in Him, and follow where He leads and take full advantage of learning everything we can, then we will be better prepared for the Bigger Plan He has for us.

In a video we watched of Elder Bednar's "Things as They Really Are" (Mormon Messages for Youth), he talks about using technology appropriately and how, if we use it inappropriately, we could impede the Spirit. Using technology appropriately and inappropriately isn't just about the sites you go on or the music you listen to, etc. Appropriate and inappropriate use of technology also involves how much time you are on the deice.

Elder Bednar offered two questions to ask yourself as to how you are using technology:
1. Does it invite or impede the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost?
2. Does it enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love, and to serve in meaningful ways?

Technology can create a "virtual reality" where things that are real appear to be fake and fake things appear to be real. Elder Bednar said, "some people ignore things as they really are. They waste countless hours, postpone schooling and academic achievement and ultimately sacrifice cherished relationships with family, friends, and others, because of detours that have no lasting value".

If used correctly, technology can be a wonderful tool to help bless the lives of others and bring them closer to Christ. Elder Bednar said, "Not all media is bad. It must be used appropriately to learn, to share, to build meaningful relationships, to lift and to brighten lives and to build the church".

For my Book of Mormon class between the two weeks we studied 1 Nephi 6-22. There is a lot of wonderful things crammed into these 16 chapters, including Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life, Lehi and his family wondering in the wilderness, Nephi is commanded to build a ship and Lehi and his family arrive in the Promised Land...oh and there are also Isaiah chapters and Laman and Lemuel's (many) murmurings thrown in these chapters as well.
Since there is so many things in these chapters, I won't talk about everything. I will talk about some of the important things and insights I learned from these chapters.

1 Nephi 7:8-12- Laman and Lemuel had so many manifestations of the Lords hand in their lives (visits from angels, deliverance from their enimies, promises kept, etc) and yet they continued to "forget". How often do we experience the Lord's hand in our lives and yet we continue to "forget"? 

1Nephi 7:15 -"Ye have choice"- We all have the freedom to choose. We all get to choose if we will follow the Savior or if we won't. What we don't get to choose is the consequences of our choice, either good or bad. We must make sure we always make the right choice because some of the choices we make have far reaching effects...far beyond ourselves and what we can see now. Some of our choices effect generations and on into eternity.

1 Nephi 7:17-18- When Laman and Lemuel bind up Nephi, he prays to Heavenly Father to loosen the bands according to his faith. Just like with Nephi, our faith and our prayers can loosen the bands that bind us...no matter what those bands are.

1 Nephi 8:7-12- Lehi had to travel "for the space of many hours in the darkness" before he reached the Tree of Life. Like Lehi, we too must travel "for the space of many hours in the darkness (trials)", before, we to, reach the Tree of Life.

1 Nephi 9: 5-6- Nephi is commanded to make the small plates. Although he doesn't know why, he obeys the commandment. Sometimes we are commanded to do something and yet we don't know why. We need to trust that Heavenly Father knows more than we do and He sees what the future holds.

1 Nephi 16- The Liahona provided direction to Lehi and his family. It kept them "in the more fertile parts of the wilderness" and " did work according the the faith and diligence which we gave unto it". Like Lehi and his family, we too have Liahona's in our lives (parents, bishops and other church leaders, prophets and apostles, etc). Like the Liahona for Lehi and his family, if we use our faith to give our full diligence to the counsels they give, we too, will be lead to the more fertile parts of the wilderness. We won't be taken completely out our "wilderness" (trials), but we will be able to get through them safely.

1 Nephi 16:18-25- Lehi and his family began to murmur because Nephi's broken bow. Then Nephi comes up with a plan on how to fix the situation. How often do we murmur when problems arise? How often do we murmur when there is a simple solution to fix the problem? How often do we murmur when it is us that caused the problem? How often does our murmuring keep us from seeing a solution? How often do we turn to the Lord for help in fixing it?

1 Nephi 17: 1-2 "And we did travel and wade through much affliction...and so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us". Although they had many afflictions, they recognized their blessings and who the blessings came from. How often, when we are going through trials, do we recognize our blessings and who they come from?

1 Nephi 17:13- "And I will be your light in the wilderness.." When we go through our "wilderness'" (trials), Christ WILL be our light and He will prepare a way before us. If we follow His light, then we will always be led to our "promised land". He will ALWAYS be in front of us and beside us.

1 Nephi 17:15: "I, Nephi, did strive to keep the commandments of God..." This verse lets us know that even Nephi wasn't perfect. Here is this amazing example of faith, obedience, etc, and even he had to "strive" to keep the commandments of God. Even though I sometimes feel like a Laman and Lemuel, there is hope for me to be a Nephi.

I apologize for this being so long, but like I said, I'm learning a lot of amazing things. I hope you enjoyed it. I also hope you learned at least one thing.