Last week, Bishop Erickson asked me to give a talk on how Young Women’s has influenced me as a person. The young women’s program is specially designed to help teach girls going through the tough teenage years that they are divine spirit daughters of a loving Heavenly Father.
As I’ve worked on Personal Progress, I’ve learned to apply the eight Young Women values in my life.
The first lesson I learned was to always have Faith. “In Alma 32: 21 it states: “Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith, ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.” Having faith is to have a belief or trust in something, especially when there is no visual evidence that it is true. Faith also includes having a positive outlook and hope for the future, no matter what trials may cross our paths. Despite my few personal trials, I’ve been able to gain more faith in the young women’s program through prayer and scripture reading. Even though I haven’t seen a heavenly being with my own eyes, I have faith that there is a Father in Heaven that loves us and looks out for us. I know for myself that every trial we successfully face will be replaced in the next life with blessings that are totally worth it.
The second lesson I learned was to recognize the divine qualities that I’ve inherited from my Father and Mother in Heaven. It’s much easier to become a better person when you grasp the fact that a royal system is still in force, even though we currently live in a free country. I’ve come to learn that everybody has divine and royal qualities passed down to them by our Heavenly Father, because he is our father and our king. How much better would we treat people if we always remembered that all women are literally princesses and all men princes? That is a question that I now aim to remind myself on a regular basis.
The third lesson, closely linked to Divine Nature, was to realize my own individual worth. D&C 18: 10 reads, “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.” That scripture isn’t just to remind us of everyone else’s worth; it’s also meant to remind us of our own. By building up each other’s sense of worth, we learn to increase our own, to the point where we can understand that we each have different gifts and divine missions to work on and fulfill.
The fourth lesson I learned was to continually acquire knowledge. Knowledge is information, facts, ideas, truths, and principles. As I’ve increased my learning over the years, the way that I see things has changed. When we do our best to gain knowledge, we learn to see problems creatively and understand other people’s points of view. A large part of what we learn is through observation and experience, and it is up to us to utilize our past experiences to better understand each other and the world. Knowledge gives us open minds, and the young women’s program has taught me a lot and helped changed my life for the better.
The fifth lesson I learned was to try to make the best choices and be accountable for my decisions. The opportunity to choose for ourselves and have agency was the whole purpose of Heavenly Father’s plan. The Strength of Youth pamphlet teaches everything that we need to know about choosing the right: “Wrong choices delay your progression and lead to heartache and misery. Right choices lead to happiness and eternal life. That is why it is so important for you to choose what is right throughout your life… You should not blame your circumstances, your family, or your friends if you choose to disobey God’s commandments. You are a child of God with great strength. You have the ability to choose righteousness and happiness no matter what your circumstances.” I am by no means perfect, and I don’t pretend to be. However, I’ve learned through experience that making bad decisions makes me feel horrible and guilty. I’ve gained a testimony in young women’s that the best way to live life is by doing our best to be good to others.
The sixth lesson I learned was to help others through good works. Jesus Christ’s whole life was devoted to selfless service. We had a lot of service projects over the six years that I was in young women’s; we caroled to the elderly, delivered treats to families in need, distributed food to the homeless at a soup kitchen, gathered and sorted canned food on multiple occasions, held a few carnivals for the Christmas Box Children, and didn’t even scratch the surface on all the service that Jesus Christ did. Young women’s taught me how important it is to follow Christ’s example. Little acts of service go a long way, and as you donate your time to serving those around you, you’ll become more like Him.
The seventh lesson I learned was to have integrity. From a good teacher of mine, I learned the difference between honesty and integrity: “Honesty is saying what you’ll do; integrity is doing what you say.” Integrity in the dictionary is defined as ‘the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or standards.’ By trying my best to be honest, I’ve not only become a better person, I’ve gained the trust of friends and family.
The final lesson was to become virtuous. When you are patient, pure, and virtuous, you invite the spirit into your life. Virtue permits us to appreciate and understand the value of the lives that we can create, and it also helps us to prepare ourselves to be worthy to take the sacrament and enter the temple. Through virtue, I have learned how important it is to be sealed to my future family in the temple.
The young women values have and will help me to improve myself, and I am so grateful for the opportunities that the program has given me. My leaders were incredible, and I can’t thank them enough for helping me gain a strong testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Showing posts with label Young Women's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Young Women's. Show all posts
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Don't Judge
I seem to be getting a lot of lessons about judging people lately! Maybe someone upstairs is trying to tell me something. I'm judgmental. They aren't too far off, it's not that I'm judgmental of people as a whole, I just over-analyze people's actions a lot. It's a weakness I know, but we all have something that we can work on, right?
Yesterday I had an incredible lesson in my Sunday-school class that made me really think twice about judging people.
With tear-filled eyes and frequent stops to try and contain the emotions that he felt, Brother Perry recounted a story of when he had judged too quickly. Every day a boy had come into his class with a terrible attitude that took the spiritual edge completely out of the class. The boy was a negative pessimist of a student, who used terrible language. He laughed at his rude disruptions, knowing the damage that he was doing to the spirit and morale of the class.
One day Brother Perry was fed up with the boy,
"You can't talk like that in here! Get out of my class right now!" he demanded. Without another word, the boy solemnly rose from his chair. Without a backward glance he left the classroom, a trace of a smile on his lips. He had been right. Nobody wanted him. At home, at school, or in church and seminary.
The class sat, stunned into silence. A girl spoke up, her face had a look of horror clearly written across it,
"Brother Perry... Why did you do that? You don't know him. You shouldn't have done that! I have known him since the second grade, and his life is a total mess right now." Brother Perry felt guilty the second he had ordered the boy out, but he didn't know how else to react. Clearly the boy wasn't intending to change his attitude, but now he'd gone so far as to kick a student out of class.
Maybe the boy had been testing him, trying to prove something to himself. Why else would a normally good-hearted boy who even bothered to show up to a church class have started acting out like that?
Brother Perry called the boy's father that night. The father wasn't at home. The next day he found out the boy's story from the girl who had disproved of his sending the rude boy out of class.
The boy's dad had gotten a divorce from his mom, and in no time at all, got married to another woman. The boy's story was much like Cinderella, except for the fact that his mom was still alive and having to live with the pain of being abandoned all so quickly.
His new step-mom paid no attention to him at all, and if she did, it was out of pure need. A need which she took with a look full of disgust and contempt, all because she did not like her step-son what-so-ever.
And to make matters worse, his father was so madly enough in love with this second wife, that he paid no attention to his son. The careless father barely noticed him anymore. The boy was completely broken-hearted. His father had literally been his best friend. They had done everything together, and now he was gone. It was as if he had lost a dad and a best friend all in the same sitting. To make matters even more painful, his dad and his best friend were the same person, making the pain of abandonment all the worse. The boy was heart-broken and forlorn. He didn't know how to react to the horrible change of events in his life, and so he acted out at school and church. The stress and heart-ache were almost too much for him to bear... And then the only teacher who had cared for him on a spiritual level had tossed him out. Just like his dad.
Brother Perry went on to tell us in a choked voice,
"Guys... Don't judge anyone! You never know what is going on in a person's life, and even if you do that is no reason to judge them for it. We all make judgments. We're human. We can't help it. But please, please learn this; the worth of souls is great in the eyes of God. We aren't God, but we need to do our best to love people unconditionally no matter what they do or how they act."
Hands shaking, he took a five dollar bill out of his pocket.
In a more light-hearted tone he asked the class this question,
"Who in this class would want this five dollar bill?" In a church class, at least you can expect people to be fairly honest, after all. Hands rose up as we looked at the upraised face of another honest man, Honest Abe to be exact.
"Would you still want this money if I did this?" Without warning, Brother Perry crushed the bill in his hand, wrinkling it beyond the point where it could ever be made flat again.
"Now, who would still want this?" he asked solemnly.
All of our hands were raised as before.
"Why is that? It's all wrinkled. It doesn't look new. Why would you want this crinkled little thing?" A student looked up from his clasped hands and with a clear voice stated,
"Because it is still worth as much as it was before."
Brother Perry smiled, although the pain of memory still lingered in his eyes,
"Exactly. You wouldn't judge money, this five dollar bill is still worth as much no matter how crinkled it is... However, money is useless to God. Can you imagine how much more you, his children, are worth to him? His son died to redeem you, because he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you were worth it. You are worth it. Don't forget your worth, and don't forget that everyone, no matter who they are or what they have done are still of great worth."
Yesterday I had an incredible lesson in my Sunday-school class that made me really think twice about judging people.
With tear-filled eyes and frequent stops to try and contain the emotions that he felt, Brother Perry recounted a story of when he had judged too quickly. Every day a boy had come into his class with a terrible attitude that took the spiritual edge completely out of the class. The boy was a negative pessimist of a student, who used terrible language. He laughed at his rude disruptions, knowing the damage that he was doing to the spirit and morale of the class.
One day Brother Perry was fed up with the boy,
"You can't talk like that in here! Get out of my class right now!" he demanded. Without another word, the boy solemnly rose from his chair. Without a backward glance he left the classroom, a trace of a smile on his lips. He had been right. Nobody wanted him. At home, at school, or in church and seminary.
The class sat, stunned into silence. A girl spoke up, her face had a look of horror clearly written across it,
"Brother Perry... Why did you do that? You don't know him. You shouldn't have done that! I have known him since the second grade, and his life is a total mess right now." Brother Perry felt guilty the second he had ordered the boy out, but he didn't know how else to react. Clearly the boy wasn't intending to change his attitude, but now he'd gone so far as to kick a student out of class.
Maybe the boy had been testing him, trying to prove something to himself. Why else would a normally good-hearted boy who even bothered to show up to a church class have started acting out like that?
Brother Perry called the boy's father that night. The father wasn't at home. The next day he found out the boy's story from the girl who had disproved of his sending the rude boy out of class.
The boy's dad had gotten a divorce from his mom, and in no time at all, got married to another woman. The boy's story was much like Cinderella, except for the fact that his mom was still alive and having to live with the pain of being abandoned all so quickly.
His new step-mom paid no attention to him at all, and if she did, it was out of pure need. A need which she took with a look full of disgust and contempt, all because she did not like her step-son what-so-ever.
And to make matters worse, his father was so madly enough in love with this second wife, that he paid no attention to his son. The careless father barely noticed him anymore. The boy was completely broken-hearted. His father had literally been his best friend. They had done everything together, and now he was gone. It was as if he had lost a dad and a best friend all in the same sitting. To make matters even more painful, his dad and his best friend were the same person, making the pain of abandonment all the worse. The boy was heart-broken and forlorn. He didn't know how to react to the horrible change of events in his life, and so he acted out at school and church. The stress and heart-ache were almost too much for him to bear... And then the only teacher who had cared for him on a spiritual level had tossed him out. Just like his dad.
Brother Perry went on to tell us in a choked voice,
"Guys... Don't judge anyone! You never know what is going on in a person's life, and even if you do that is no reason to judge them for it. We all make judgments. We're human. We can't help it. But please, please learn this; the worth of souls is great in the eyes of God. We aren't God, but we need to do our best to love people unconditionally no matter what they do or how they act."
Hands shaking, he took a five dollar bill out of his pocket.
In a more light-hearted tone he asked the class this question,
"Who in this class would want this five dollar bill?" In a church class, at least you can expect people to be fairly honest, after all. Hands rose up as we looked at the upraised face of another honest man, Honest Abe to be exact.
"Would you still want this money if I did this?" Without warning, Brother Perry crushed the bill in his hand, wrinkling it beyond the point where it could ever be made flat again.
"Now, who would still want this?" he asked solemnly.
All of our hands were raised as before.
"Why is that? It's all wrinkled. It doesn't look new. Why would you want this crinkled little thing?" A student looked up from his clasped hands and with a clear voice stated,
"Because it is still worth as much as it was before."
Brother Perry smiled, although the pain of memory still lingered in his eyes,
"Exactly. You wouldn't judge money, this five dollar bill is still worth as much no matter how crinkled it is... However, money is useless to God. Can you imagine how much more you, his children, are worth to him? His son died to redeem you, because he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you were worth it. You are worth it. Don't forget your worth, and don't forget that everyone, no matter who they are or what they have done are still of great worth."
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Arise and Shine Forth
"Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies." Proverbs 31:10
Last week, I went to a church run camp for girls in my neighborhood. It was such an amazing experience; camp helped me remember how important every individual is to the world and to God. It was a learning experience from the time I shook nervously from fifty feet off the ground, suspended by thin little cords, to when I found myself running for cover from rock-hard hail the size of marbles.
Day 1: August 2, 2010. Arise and Shine Forth through Righteous Living
Today was such a blast! The younger girls lit up the camp with their smiling faces, no matter how scared or shy they were. They were loving and caring towards the other girls around them. We set up our sleeping quarter quite quickly today, after which, we played sponge water games.
We had an amazing speaker, Sister Stone, who talked passionately about how important it is to close our eyes and love everyone no matter who they are or what they look like. She portrayed and relayed with ter-filled eyes how truly important it is to never give up on those that you love, and to always do your best to reach out to those who seem lost.
Some men are born believing in God, some are born with confidence knowing that there is a supreme being who loves them unceasingly. Others lose the way and their sight of their faith, that once seemed so easy to believe and rely on. And then there are those who feel like they have no purpose. It is the job of good men and women to reach out to those less fortunate in any way, and to be an example, a beacon of light in the darkness to the many poor and lost sailsmen. All lost people need in the dark is a light, one beam, one single lighthouse in the night is enough for a stranded soul to reach out and find safe ground from the churling waves and jagged rocks in life.
3 Nephi 6:14
"And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were a few Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the cmomandments of the Lord
...
Alma 40:12
"And then it shall come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow."
Tonight I was asked to share my testimony, so I decided to share a brief experience that I had a few months ago that helped to strengthen my belief. I'll write down my experience in in this journal as a guide, just in case I get nervous talking in front of so many people.
This year at Prom, I was really shocked by the dresses that the girls around me wore. I was even more disappointed when I realized that some girls that I knew from my seminary class at school were dressed extremely immodestly.
When I got home that night, I expressed to my mom how upset it had made me feel to see so many girls lowering their standards to try to appear "pretty" to their dates.
The conversation turned into a spiritual experience as my mom asked me this one question, "How would those girls have felt if Jesus had walked into Prom right then? They would have been unbelievably ashamed."
That's why dressing modestly is truly important. We don't know when our Savior will come again. As we dress ourselves daily, we should think,
"Would I feel comfortable if I met Jesus today?"
I know that this gospel is true, and I know that our savior saved us because he loves us. We will be blessed forever if we can show our love through obedience and patience.
After I bore my testimony, all of the girls were given handouts that read:
"Arise and Shine Forth Through Righteous Living
We cannot hide what we are, try as we will. It shines from within us... Those who stand firm, steadfast, and immovable are given great inner hidden powers and unseen strengths. They will be endowed with full and potent spiritual resources." James E. Faust"
"My final plea tonight is that you have the courage to stand firm for truth and righteousness. Because the trend in society today is away from the values and principles the Lord has given us, you will almost certainly be called upon to defend that which you believe. Unless the roots of your testimony are firmly planted, it will be difficult for you to withstand the ridicule of those who challenge your faith. When firmly planted, your testimony of the gospel, of the Savior, and of our Heavenly Father will influence all that you do throughout your life. The adversary would like nothing better than for you to allow derisive comments and criticism of the Church to cause you to question and doubt. Your testimony, when constantly nourished, will keep you safe." Thomas S. Monson."
Day 2: August 3, 2010. Arise and Shine Forth by Recognizing and Following the Spirit
Today was so fun and uplifting! We had to observe each other, and share our observations with each other around the campfire. We were all assigned a girl, and my girl was little Amberlynn, I noticed that she is such a sweet, caring, and happy person. I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to get to know her better.
The girl who had to observe me was another a sophomore girl named Lexie. She told me that she was impressed that I always stick to my standards, and that she was impressed by how hard I work at everything I do. Well, that really made me feel good about myself. The theme for today, as I've already mentioned, was recognizing and following the spirit, and there is no doubt that I felt moved by the love that was shared between the girls today. I learned that the spirit can teach us through words and feelings.
Day 3: August 4, 2010. Arise and Shine Forth by Being the Daughter You Were Meant to Be
Today Sister Thompson read a book today that talked about how every girl is a princess. I never really thought of it that way, but I believe that God is a King, and that we are all his children. That would make me a princess, along with every other girl I see. But do I treat every girl like she is a princess? Princesses are extremely important.
Now that I gained this knowledge, I'm going to do my best to be patient and loving towards God's other daughters, because they aren't just his children, they are in deed princesses. I'm going to make it my new goal, to reach out to others and help them realize just how important they are, because they are royalty. It's so important to always remember who we truly are, so that we can become who we were truly meant to be. Royalty.
Day 4: August 5, 2010. Arise and Shine Forth by Following the Savior Jesus Christ
"If you can resist all evil, you can resist Satan."
2 Nephi 2:27
"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the Great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."
Now is not the time to be another person caught in the gray area, there is a clear definition between right and wrong. Don't follow the play now and confess-to-bishop-later type of life. It is not worth it in any way. Don't mock the Savior's Atonement, he suffered greatly for our sins; and her suffers greatly still when we take his sacrifice in vain by choosing Satan's easy-way-out lifestyle. Life isn't meant to be simple or easy, and if it is, you aren't living the way you should.
Alma 53: 17, 20
"And they entered into a covenant to fight for the liberty of the Nephites, yea, to protect the land unto the laying down of their lives; yea, even they covenanted that they never would give up their liberty, but they would fight in all cases to protect the Nephites and themselves from bondage... And they were all young men and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold this was not all-- they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted."
I'm sad that this was my last year of girls' camp.
Last week, I went to a church run camp for girls in my neighborhood. It was such an amazing experience; camp helped me remember how important every individual is to the world and to God. It was a learning experience from the time I shook nervously from fifty feet off the ground, suspended by thin little cords, to when I found myself running for cover from rock-hard hail the size of marbles.
Day 1: August 2, 2010. Arise and Shine Forth through Righteous Living
Today was such a blast! The younger girls lit up the camp with their smiling faces, no matter how scared or shy they were. They were loving and caring towards the other girls around them. We set up our sleeping quarter quite quickly today, after which, we played sponge water games.
We had an amazing speaker, Sister Stone, who talked passionately about how important it is to close our eyes and love everyone no matter who they are or what they look like. She portrayed and relayed with ter-filled eyes how truly important it is to never give up on those that you love, and to always do your best to reach out to those who seem lost.
Some men are born believing in God, some are born with confidence knowing that there is a supreme being who loves them unceasingly. Others lose the way and their sight of their faith, that once seemed so easy to believe and rely on. And then there are those who feel like they have no purpose. It is the job of good men and women to reach out to those less fortunate in any way, and to be an example, a beacon of light in the darkness to the many poor and lost sailsmen. All lost people need in the dark is a light, one beam, one single lighthouse in the night is enough for a stranded soul to reach out and find safe ground from the churling waves and jagged rocks in life.
3 Nephi 6:14
"And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were a few Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the cmomandments of the Lord
...
Alma 40:12
"And then it shall come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow."
Tonight I was asked to share my testimony, so I decided to share a brief experience that I had a few months ago that helped to strengthen my belief. I'll write down my experience in in this journal as a guide, just in case I get nervous talking in front of so many people.
This year at Prom, I was really shocked by the dresses that the girls around me wore. I was even more disappointed when I realized that some girls that I knew from my seminary class at school were dressed extremely immodestly.
When I got home that night, I expressed to my mom how upset it had made me feel to see so many girls lowering their standards to try to appear "pretty" to their dates.
The conversation turned into a spiritual experience as my mom asked me this one question, "How would those girls have felt if Jesus had walked into Prom right then? They would have been unbelievably ashamed."
That's why dressing modestly is truly important. We don't know when our Savior will come again. As we dress ourselves daily, we should think,
"Would I feel comfortable if I met Jesus today?"
I know that this gospel is true, and I know that our savior saved us because he loves us. We will be blessed forever if we can show our love through obedience and patience.
After I bore my testimony, all of the girls were given handouts that read:
"Arise and Shine Forth Through Righteous Living
We cannot hide what we are, try as we will. It shines from within us... Those who stand firm, steadfast, and immovable are given great inner hidden powers and unseen strengths. They will be endowed with full and potent spiritual resources." James E. Faust"
"My final plea tonight is that you have the courage to stand firm for truth and righteousness. Because the trend in society today is away from the values and principles the Lord has given us, you will almost certainly be called upon to defend that which you believe. Unless the roots of your testimony are firmly planted, it will be difficult for you to withstand the ridicule of those who challenge your faith. When firmly planted, your testimony of the gospel, of the Savior, and of our Heavenly Father will influence all that you do throughout your life. The adversary would like nothing better than for you to allow derisive comments and criticism of the Church to cause you to question and doubt. Your testimony, when constantly nourished, will keep you safe." Thomas S. Monson."
Day 2: August 3, 2010. Arise and Shine Forth by Recognizing and Following the Spirit
Today was so fun and uplifting! We had to observe each other, and share our observations with each other around the campfire. We were all assigned a girl, and my girl was little Amberlynn, I noticed that she is such a sweet, caring, and happy person. I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to get to know her better.
The girl who had to observe me was another a sophomore girl named Lexie. She told me that she was impressed that I always stick to my standards, and that she was impressed by how hard I work at everything I do. Well, that really made me feel good about myself. The theme for today, as I've already mentioned, was recognizing and following the spirit, and there is no doubt that I felt moved by the love that was shared between the girls today. I learned that the spirit can teach us through words and feelings.
Day 3: August 4, 2010. Arise and Shine Forth by Being the Daughter You Were Meant to Be
Today Sister Thompson read a book today that talked about how every girl is a princess. I never really thought of it that way, but I believe that God is a King, and that we are all his children. That would make me a princess, along with every other girl I see. But do I treat every girl like she is a princess? Princesses are extremely important.
Now that I gained this knowledge, I'm going to do my best to be patient and loving towards God's other daughters, because they aren't just his children, they are in deed princesses. I'm going to make it my new goal, to reach out to others and help them realize just how important they are, because they are royalty. It's so important to always remember who we truly are, so that we can become who we were truly meant to be. Royalty.
Day 4: August 5, 2010. Arise and Shine Forth by Following the Savior Jesus Christ
"If you can resist all evil, you can resist Satan."
2 Nephi 2:27
"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the Great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."
Now is not the time to be another person caught in the gray area, there is a clear definition between right and wrong. Don't follow the play now and confess-to-bishop-later type of life. It is not worth it in any way. Don't mock the Savior's Atonement, he suffered greatly for our sins; and her suffers greatly still when we take his sacrifice in vain by choosing Satan's easy-way-out lifestyle. Life isn't meant to be simple or easy, and if it is, you aren't living the way you should.
Alma 53: 17, 20
"And they entered into a covenant to fight for the liberty of the Nephites, yea, to protect the land unto the laying down of their lives; yea, even they covenanted that they never would give up their liberty, but they would fight in all cases to protect the Nephites and themselves from bondage... And they were all young men and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold this was not all-- they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted."
I'm sad that this was my last year of girls' camp.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Regaining Self Confidence
For the past few weeks, I haven't really felt like myself. It's really hard for me to explain, and it's pretty embarrassing for me to admit, but I think the main cause is that I'd lost some self confidence. Talk about a typical teenage crisis; somehow I'd become so thoroughly depressed, that I honestly started to believe that I didn't have any friends that cared about me.
I now realize that that idea lodged in my brain was completely and entirely wrong. For the past few weeks, I've been allowing little insults to hurt me worse than bullets. Often, I found myself just curling up in a ball on my bed for long periods of time, wondering what could possibly be wrong, wondering if I just had some sort of mental problem that was making me depressed. And then rationalizing that maybe that would be the cause as to why people didn't like me.
I'm sorry if this is making you feel sorry for me at all, that's definitely not what I'm trying to get at, but I'm being completely honest.
I finally realized why I became so depressed- it's because I allowed every little tease and taunt to feel like an insult to me, my family, and my cow. Instead of judging myself by what I know, I judged myself off of what others thought about me. My self confidence was utterly demolished. I continued to lose even more self confidence because I haven't been doing what I love to do lately; helping people! I had been so concerned about worrying about not having any friends, that I didn't take the time like I normally do to be one myself.
It took three lessons in church and seminary to completely heal that little hole in my heart. I can't remember everything that was said during those lessons, but I want to type up a page of quotes from on of those lessons, and I hope that this will help somebody out there who feels alone and unloved.
"One of the greatest weaknesses in most of us is our lack of faith in ourselves. One of our common failings is to depreciate our tremendous worth." ~Elder Tom Perry
"A wise teacher and stake Relief Society president flashed a large picture on a screen. It showed a bright-eyed boy with unkempt hair and folded arms, deep in thought. The caption rad,
'I know I'm somebody 'cause God don't make no junk.'
Please let me repeat, 'I know I'm somebody 'cause God don't make no junk.' ... He knew he wasn't junk. He knew he wasn't impossible. He knew he was a human being loved by his Heavenly Father." -Elder Marvin J. Ashton
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." -Elenor Rosevelt
We do not all have the same talents, abilities, or potential, but each of us has something that we can do well. We need to find our own unique qualities and build on them. We need to have sufficient confidence in ourselves that we can improve. We can begin by thinking that we can succeed.
There are times when we all feel somewhat less adequate than other people. We need to compare ourselves with our own best selves and seek for improvements that are within our own capabilities. One of the greatest challenges is to overcome the feeling that we are not important.
Our life has a purpose. We were born to succeed and to become like God.
Finally I've started to think postively about myself again, and now I don't really care what people think about me. Life isn't about what people think or don't think of you, it's about what you yourself and God know about you!
If you have time, please watch the video on this website.
http://www.thedoorpost.com/hope/film/?film=4dd298f102c77b625cf37a9e7744ac68
I now realize that that idea lodged in my brain was completely and entirely wrong. For the past few weeks, I've been allowing little insults to hurt me worse than bullets. Often, I found myself just curling up in a ball on my bed for long periods of time, wondering what could possibly be wrong, wondering if I just had some sort of mental problem that was making me depressed. And then rationalizing that maybe that would be the cause as to why people didn't like me.
I'm sorry if this is making you feel sorry for me at all, that's definitely not what I'm trying to get at, but I'm being completely honest.
I finally realized why I became so depressed- it's because I allowed every little tease and taunt to feel like an insult to me, my family, and my cow. Instead of judging myself by what I know, I judged myself off of what others thought about me. My self confidence was utterly demolished. I continued to lose even more self confidence because I haven't been doing what I love to do lately; helping people! I had been so concerned about worrying about not having any friends, that I didn't take the time like I normally do to be one myself.
It took three lessons in church and seminary to completely heal that little hole in my heart. I can't remember everything that was said during those lessons, but I want to type up a page of quotes from on of those lessons, and I hope that this will help somebody out there who feels alone and unloved.
"One of the greatest weaknesses in most of us is our lack of faith in ourselves. One of our common failings is to depreciate our tremendous worth." ~Elder Tom Perry
"A wise teacher and stake Relief Society president flashed a large picture on a screen. It showed a bright-eyed boy with unkempt hair and folded arms, deep in thought. The caption rad,
'I know I'm somebody 'cause God don't make no junk.'
Please let me repeat, 'I know I'm somebody 'cause God don't make no junk.' ... He knew he wasn't junk. He knew he wasn't impossible. He knew he was a human being loved by his Heavenly Father." -Elder Marvin J. Ashton
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." -Elenor Rosevelt
We do not all have the same talents, abilities, or potential, but each of us has something that we can do well. We need to find our own unique qualities and build on them. We need to have sufficient confidence in ourselves that we can improve. We can begin by thinking that we can succeed.
There are times when we all feel somewhat less adequate than other people. We need to compare ourselves with our own best selves and seek for improvements that are within our own capabilities. One of the greatest challenges is to overcome the feeling that we are not important.
Our life has a purpose. We were born to succeed and to become like God.
Finally I've started to think postively about myself again, and now I don't really care what people think about me. Life isn't about what people think or don't think of you, it's about what you yourself and God know about you!
If you have time, please watch the video on this website.
http://www.thedoorpost.com/hope/film/?film=4dd298f102c77b625cf37a9e7744ac68
Sunday, January 4, 2009
"Going Out"
Recently I had a talk with a close friend, about a rather peculiar topic for me to discuss. I haven't had any experience in this subject myself yet, but somehow I was able to come up with good advice, from advice that I had been given years before.
The advice I gave was from a lesson that I was given when I was twelve. Even though I'm sixteen now, I haven't forgotten the valuable, impacting lesson, and I don't think I ever will. But just in case I do, or just in case this might help you or someone like my friend, I'm going to tell you a story about an analogy that was shown to me.
One Sunday when I was sitting in my church class, patiently waiting for the lesson to begin. I remember feeling really happy, our piano player was extremely good, and I distantly remember that she was playing some of my favorite hymns. I had just barely become old enough to go to a class called "Young Women's," so I was beginning to enjoy the company of all of the girls surrounding me. As I was sitting there enjoying the music and living life, my new church leader stepped into the classroom. In one hand she was balancing a huge bundle of roses, in the other hand she was holding a slender glass vase with a single rose. They were the prettiest roses I had ever seen, and I can almost recall hearing a collective gasp as the beautiful flowers were set down on the table in front of us. When the lesson started, our leader asked us all a question.
"Now, if I was going to give any of you girls these roses, which would you want? The bundle with all of these different beautiful roses, or just the one rose? Raise your hand for all those who would want the bundle..."
Every hand shot up. She laughed,
"That's what I thought." We sat there in puzzlement, wondering about the significance of the question, which was answered to all of the curious onlookers.
"Well, girls, I'm comparing these roses to people... Not just any people, all people are worth the same amount in God's eyes... But I'm talking about boys. Let's compare these roses here to boys." Roses and boys? What's the connection exactly? That was answered pretty quickly too.
"Girls, boys are like roses. They all have worth to them. They are all different... But how will you know which rose you'll like the best until you look at them all individually and give them each a try? Eventually, we will all just have one rose in our vase, we need to make sure that that rose is the best out of the bundle, the one that we love the most."
I think every teenager could have used that inspirational, heart felt talk. We only have the opportunity to be teenagers once. Why don't we make the best out of it? I've had it pounded into my head by multiple adults, "you will end up marrying who you date." It's true! So why do we have boyfriends and girlfriends? We should give lots of different people a try, not limiting ourselves! Now listen to my analogies on the topic.
What kind of a deprived person do you think you'd be if you only tasted mint flavored ice cream your whole entire life? Think about it, would you want to grow up and have only eaten one flavor? I don't even like mint ice cream, I hardly like mint flavor at all, and if that's the only option of ice cream I'd ever been given my whole life, I just wouldn't eat it! Then why would you only date one person? You never know what type of person you'd like better or have most fun dating unless you try lots of different people!
Last comment on the matter... How happy and satisfied would Cinderella really be if she only gave Prince Charming a chance? How would she even know that he was more charming than every other guy in the first place? I don't believe in love at first sight, you have to know what makes that one person special. Looks aren't everything, there's a lot more to a person. Think about it.
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