Mormon General Conference

If you have any Mormon friends, you may have noticed an increase in scattered inspirational messages here and there, all over Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and everywhere else.

You may find it strange or neat or a little annoying (hopefully not), but it's with good reason. Us Mormons love spreading our happiness to others, you see. If you haven't experienced the happiness the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring you, then let this be an opportunity for you. You may not even think you want to experience it. Or maybe you have been curious about what Latter-day Saints believe. If that is the case, this is a perfect chance for you to find out.

A brief background:
Twice a year, in October and April, Latter-day Saints (or "Mormons" as most people know us by) sit down on a consecutive Saturday and Sunday in front of a TV at their church or home, or (if they're fortunate enough to be near Salt Lake City where it takes place) gather at the LDS Conference Center to listen to a live broadcast of our modern-day prophet, the president of our church, President Thomas S. Monson and his counselors, Presidents Henry B. Eyring, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, and Boyd K. Packer, and Elders L. Tom Perry, Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard, Richard G. Scott, Robert D. Hales, Jeffrey R. Holland, David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson, and Neil L. Anderson. In addition, we often hear from female leaders of the church and other men from different quorums. The messages are uplifting, inspirational, and feel very personal to me. I always feel like any concerns I have or struggles in my life are addressed perfectly every time I listen to conference.

If you choose to take me up on my offer, you will most certainly see why Latter-day Saints look forward to Conference weekend and why we are eager to share the messages we have gladly received.

Please realize that when a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asks you to watch conference with them, we are not expecting you to convert. We are hoping that you will feel peace, hope, and joy in the message. There are so many good things in these talks for everyone, that we do not want anyone to miss out. We are not going to be offended if you do not start going to church with us each Sunday. We won't make you talk to the missionaries. We won't even stop being your friend. We just want you to feel that spirit of happiness that we feel when we listen to a prophet of God speak words of comfort to us.

If you are feeling lost, alone, sad, hurt, broken, angry, bitter, or confused, this message is for you. 
If you think you have your whole life together and love everything about your life right now, this message is still for you. 
If you have been feeling as though something is missing in your life, this message is for you.
Truly, the messages in conference are for everyone.

If you are nothing but curious about what Mormons are talking about, then conference is for you. We won't force you to convert or to keep listening. Turn it off if you don't like what you hear. But if you have a true desire to know, then you will enjoy these messages.

I challenge you to watch a talk or two. They're all so good, but pick a title that piques your interest to start. Elder Holland, Elder Ballard, and Elder Uchtdorf are always favorites.

Here is a link to watch general conference.

Watch one, or even part of one, and then tell me what you think. Ask me questions, share your opinions. Just do it. You might even like it. ;)

And if you are not Mormon and take my challenge, please let me know if you watched any of it! You can even stay anonymous and just say "I did." Make my day and let me know.

Be fed spiritually. You may be starving and not even know it.

On Being Open-Minded

I think society has a major problem. And it revolves primarily around the incorrect use of language, and more specifically around use of certain terms like "open-minded" and "tolerance." Those of you who believe you are open-minded or tolerant raise your hand. I bet most of you mentally thought, "Yeah, I'm pretty open-minded." Believe it or not, I even thought that I was open-minded for a brief minute. Some of you are scoffing at the idea that I, a blatantly conservative young woman, could be open-minded. Then I thought about those people in society who call themselves open-minded. We all know who I'm referring to. One political party more than the other tends to associate themselves with this term. And with it, they label their stances on major political issues. 

Well it's not accurate. Not how "we" use it, not how "they" use it.

Open-minded (adj.) Receptive to new and different ideas or the opinions of others; having a mind receptive to new ideas, arguments, etc.; unprejudiced.
Tolerant (adj.) Showing willingness to allow the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.

Now please tell me how receptive you are to the different opinions of others. Tell me how you never trample on the perspectives of others especially those you find disagreeable. (And while you're at it, please tell my anonymous blog critics to stop being so overwhelmingly open-minded toward my personal beliefs and ideas (despite this being my personal blog and me not forcing them to read or react to it)). Seriously, I can't take their tolerance.*

There are very few people who are open-minded or tolerant. And I am not one of them. I do not tolerate views that I believe to be wrong or immoral. I do not tolerate people who judge me and call me judgmental. It's part of being human to judge and learn to make righteous judgments. 

Judgement (noun) The ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions.

I know a few people who actually are open-minded. They align themselves with one party or one type of people but willingly listen and learn from the opinions of those with opposite views. They are information gatherers, and they are the truly tolerant among us. One reader of mine in particular fits this description. She forms her opinions about others based on a number of factors, accounting for cultural differences, upbringing, and environment. She may disagree with the majority of my views, but her willingness to learn about them and her efforts to understand them prior to forming judgments make her truly tolerant.

I've come to the sensible conclusion that many, many people are not as open-minded or tolerant as they proclaim. They must learn that these two principles are two-way behaviors. I have not mastered them. And I can assure you that I am fully aware that society has not done so either, regardless of political party. If you are going to use one of those terms, please learn to do so correctly, or you are wasting my close-minded time. Better yet, take an English course or read a Dictionary and a Thesaurus and then come anonymously insult me with your tolerance. 

I've learned that I am judgmental. But I judge based on my conservative upbringing, my religious background, my personal opinions developed in my mere twenty-two years of public education, and especially by my intuition because I believe that everyone has an inner moral compass whether they believe the same or choose to follow it or not. I follow mine. And there's where all this stuff that I put in this blog comes from. Blame my nature and my upbringing if you want.

Now stop being so close-minded and accept my beliefs already. (That, like much of this post by the way, was sarcasm. Sarcasm (noun) The use of words that mean the opposite of what you really want to say especially in order to insult someone, to show irritation, or to be funny...I think I accomplished all three of those things). 

Also, just to clarify...Close-minded (adj.) Intolerant of the beliefs and opinions of others; stubbornly unreceptive to new ideas. 

I'm not asking for comments on this one because, let's be honest, I don't really want to hear them unless they're compliments.**
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*Note: My husband Dalin is wonderfully supportive of me, but he and I do not necessarily agree on every subject that I choose to discuss on this blog. He is very much more open-minded than I am about nearly every subject and is a much better person than I on many levels. He thought that I was going too far with my sarcasm in this paragraph and admittedly it was written in mild rage annoyance, but I am (evidently) a very disagreeable person who likes conflict so I thought it most appropriate to leave it in. I'll try to tone it down in the future though, and that is one thing I am serious about. ;)

**Believe it or not, I wrote this post with the intention of being informative rather than argumentative. I clearly failed at conveying that but all the same, I do not mean to dictate how I think "all people should behave" (by my private definition) but I do write to share my views and inform. 

5 Things That Make Me Most Happy Now

A lot of things make me quite happy right now!

1. Dalin. I have a wonderful husband whom I love very, very much. I loved talking to him on the phone tonight (he has a grave shift) about all kinds of things (the Masterpiece Classic movies I've been watching, what I've been doing with Tenley, how much I miss him) just like we were dating again. I feel as much in love with him as ever and even more so now. Even though we have both grown (though not height-wise in my case) and changed in several ways, we did so together. We've been molded into adults and parents together and have forever to continue to do so.

2. Tenley. Everything about her. It is impossible to imagine loving another human being so much as your own child until you have one. I know this from experience. I always knew I'd love my children, but there is no feeling like holding your own baby in your arms. Just knowing that Tenley is mine forever and that she is a part of Dalin and me fills me with joy. I cannot even comprehend how she came from me still--it's too miraculous. Life is a miracle.

3. The gospel of Jesus Christ. I love being a Latter-day Saint (aka Mormon). Just knowing that I can be with my sweet little family forever is such a comfort to me. Death is not the end! I can have joy in my family for eternity. I am so grateful to our loving Father in heaven for making this a possibility! If you want to know why Mormons are generally so happy, check this link out!

4. The Book of Mormon. I have been reading it a lot more lately (slowly but surely!), and my testimony that this book is truly the word of God is growing firm again. I have faith that reading it will strengthen my home and increase the happiness we feel daily. One purpose of this life is for us to have joy and I personally have been promised to feel that joy if I will continually try to do the right thing--including immersing myself in the scriptures. Sometimes I read them because it is a commandment, and sometimes (like now) I read them because it truly increases my happiness.

5. This blog. Sometimes I hate this stupid thing because it can be a big time waster, but more often than not, it brings me a lot of happiness because I enjoy writing, and I also like sharing my testimony and points of view with others. I hope that my writing does occasionally bring a little bit of additional happiness to your day. If not, let me know and I'll work on that...but if it has, I like to know that too. I love reading your comments, though all too often I just reply mentally rather than literally. But anyway, this blog is bringing me happiness in this exact moment and I guess that's what matters (at least for the sake of this post).

I'm sure I could add several others. But the requirement was 5 things, plus it's past midnight now and I have a baby girl to go and snuggle.

What are 5 things (or even just a few) that are making you happy right now? Maybe it's a major thing or something simple.

Thoughts of a Conservative (and a Mormon)

I do not understand some people in America. I really don't. I do not understand how some of them can justly call themselves "American" and harbor the misconceptions that they do.

Fact: America was founded on religious principles. It was settled by pilgrims seeking religious freedom from an oppressive king. As much as some try to deny it (if you do, see here), this country was formed as a nation under God.

If you know anything about me, it's that I consider myself very conservative.  I found this great quote which reflects the views of The Social Science Encyclopedia: "Conservatism is a condition found among the mature, who have discovered what it is in life they most value." I would say that sounds about right. I will tell you the five things I most value: God; my husband and family; my religion (which goes along with my belief in God); freedom; children/life. When people suggest that my religion or conservative values are "outdated," I think to myself that their beliefs, in contrast, are unrealistic and ideological. I look at the world and see a lot of good people but also a lot of evil. Those on the opposite side of the fence see only the best of human nature. They think everyone deserves to live exactly how they want to live and, if given the freedom to do so, will choose to live responsibly. Their unrealistic expectations of the world and their ideas relating to this are attractive to those who similarly believe in the potential for an ideal society. They are also attractive to those who are "victimized" in actual society because it gives them a false sense of hope for a better future. The point is, these beliefs are unrealistic and ultimately impossible.

As a Latter-day Saint, I believe in agency. Before coming to earth, God gave us the ability to choose right or wrong for ourselves. Before choosing this, Lucifer (Satan) presented the plan that those who come to earth would have virtually no agency. They would only be able to "choose" goodness, which we realize is no choice at all. Lucifer's plan was rejected because God loves us so much He wanted us to be able to choose our own fate in this life--whether that meant returning to Him or choosing another path. I feel like those who believe in some kind of ideological world do not see the flaw in their thinking. Because people have agency, there always have been and always will be people who choose evil. This is one of our Heavenly Father's greatest gifts to mankind. I'm sure it makes Him very sad when one of His sons or daughters chooses this path but He loves us enough to allow us to choose for ourselves.

GUNS
I will just be scratching the surface in sharing some thoughts on this subject. To start, do people honestly believe that banning guns would eliminate gun violence? I will put my two cents in (since this is my blog and the First Amendment is still operative)--No, I do not believe that military grade weapons need to be in the hands of average citizens. Sure, it's a good idea to perform background checks before guns are sold to the public. Do we need semi-automatic guns in regular society? No. Do I think guns are bad? NO! I eat meat and I'm completely okay with hunting for the purpose of feeding one's family. I'm also okay with guns used for recreational purposes. But back to the original rhetorical question (do people honestly believe that banning guns would eliminate gun violence?), the "answer" is clear. There are always evil people out there. There are always those who are selfish and willing to hurt others to achieve their ends. Were there murderers and crimes committed before guns existed? Obviously. The point is, stricter regulations on guns does very little. Look at Mexico, which does not allow citizens to own anything larger than a .22 caliber weapon. Evidently, this law isn't very effective based on the fact that drug lords and criminals still find a way to make or purchase larger weapons. I've already discussed how eliminating guns entirely would never be effective. As proven by Australia, complete eradication of guns always results in greater violence, more crimes, and ultimately, public outcry. Criminals prey on the defenseless. I do not intend to foolishly leave my family vulnerable against an armed criminal. If someone does not share my views about this and can explain their thinking in a realistic way, I'd love to hear it.

I intended to go on into other subjects, but lucky for some of you, I am very tired and both physically and emotionally drained from the day. Don't worry though, I'll undoubtedly be sharing some more of my "old-fashioned" ideas in the future.

If you would like to read my views regarding abortion (another touchy subject), you can do so by clicking here. You can read about my opinion that the family unit is sacred right here. 

My Little Stand for the Family

Well you all know me and how very conservative the majority of my views are. This time around, I will admit, I was intending to stay completely clear of the recent discussions on marriage--not because I do not have a valid opinion to defend, but because I wanted to preserve the peace. But something about marriage just causes my heart to burn with emotion and I feel so strongly that it needs to be defended. Maybe it's because as a Latter-day Saint (or, Mormon), my beliefs are frequently mocked and trodden on. Maybe it's because I am stubborn and have to get a word in when I feel passionately about something. Either way, here I am, putting my "two cents" in. I will boldly say though, that I know the following things are worth so much more eternally than a mere two pennies.

The words I want to share are not my own, but I felt they were written so beautifully and articulately that I wanted to quote them. Because the first woman's comments are in response to words of others, there may be a little confusion which I will clear up if necessary.

I have never met these women and do not know anything about either of them except that we share the same views in regards to marriage. Disagree with us if you would like, but I will simply (and as politely as I can) reply with a defense of our belief that marriage is sacred, and ordained of God for one man and one woman. 

Written by Aly R. Taylor:

I do believe my entire world and life will change if gay marriage passes and that within 20 years our entire society will look more different than imaginable. I also know that it will affect my children and their children, for the worse...I also believe that divorce rates will go up if people do not appreciate the sanctity of marriage. Marriage is an important institution that makes our society better for many reasons, including an increase in stability which is better for the economy, and raising good children. Take a look at this article for an interesting opinion from someone who is a libertarian and not pro/against marriage but describes that in all likelihood it will make a change our life as we know it: 

[This is a very interesting read if you have the time to get through it]
 http://fireflydove.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/a-libertarian-view-of-gay-marriage/

Divorce rates would easily go up to 80% plus within 10 years if we keep ignoring the importance and sanctity of marriage, and our society will be worse off. From my experience divorce often creates unhappy or bitter people and broken families. That is but one of my 100 concerns with gay marriage.

It saddens me that very few people think of consequences to their actions nowadays. But you are right -----, it is a choice and hopefully my children will have such a burning desire and love for God that they will choose to follow him over any carnal desire.

Everyone is so concerned with making "history" that they don't think through the actual impact and the eternal perspective. I believe in eternity, and don't understand individuals who can say they follow Christ and go directly against his Word. To love Christ is to follow him. I love my fellow man, but that love for them and for God is what drives me to help his cause. It's like if you knew someone was about to commit murder, wouldn't you do what you can to stop them from committing this sin? Why would you not help your fellow man and do what you can to help them find eternal happiness versus worldly temporary happiness?

Written by Annie Z. Edwards: 

It doesn't have anything to do with sin or feelings. I have no problem with gays having a union and any and all tax or whatever benefits heterosexual couples have. But the sacrament of marriage is partially for pro-creation which physically can only be done one way. I feel there should be equal and separate benefits for gay couples and their unions but disagree with changing the definition if marriage. And having my own opinion on the subject while respecting your right to have yours does not make me intolerant. 

This link conveys the reasoning behind my belief that children thrive best in a home with one faithful father and mother. It is so worth your time! It was created by Erika Bahr. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNahtS4XJ8E&feature=youtu.be 

“Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.” ~Rachel Jankovic

If you are wondering what we as Latter-day Saints (or Mormons) believe in, this article called "The Divine Institution of Marriage" is put out by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and leaves no question as to what members of the Church believe in.
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/the-divine-institution-of-marriage 

Here is a video about it if you prefer that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsR9HPhsjJ4

This beautiful document, entitled "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," additionally conveys my personal belief in the sanctity of marriage and the family order:  https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation

There is more to say and more things I could express, but for now, I would like to leave this post as it is and ask you to respectfully keep your differing beliefs to yourself unless you have a question or comment that in no way needs to be censored. Otherwise, I thankfully still have the right to monitor what is said here and I will utilize that right. 

I appreciate your tolerance of (and patience with) my beliefs. Once you have read everything on this page, I invite you to share your beliefs--but only once you fully understand where I come from. 

If you desire, here is a link from a Christian woman whom I am not acquainted with, but I appreciated her thoughts on children and the family, shared here: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-is-a-calling-and-where-your-children-rank

"The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home."

~Confucius 

"The family is the first essential cell of human society."

~Pope John XXIII

"Science has established two facts meaningful for human welfare: first, the foundation of the structure of human personality is laid down in early childhood; and second, the chief engineer in charge of this construction is the family."

~Meyer Francis Nimkoff

"The family is the cornerstone of our society. More than any other force it shapes the attitude, the hopes, the ambitions, and the values of the child. And when the family collapses, it is the children that are usually damaged. When it happens on a massive scale, the community itself is crippled. So, unless we work to strengthen the family, to create conditions under which most parents will stay together, all the rest--schools, playgrounds, public assistance, and private concern--will never be enough."

~Lyndon B. Johnson 

"The important thing is the family. If you can keep the family together--and that's the backbone of our whole business, catering to families--that's what we hope to do."

~Walt Disney

"If a country is to be corruption-free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who make a difference. They are the father, the mother, and the Teacher."

~Abdul Kalam

Did you know...

I am pregnant! Just kidding, you should definitely know that by now. But I really am pregnant--I wasn't kidding about that part! 

I have never dyed my hair. Not once. I used to want to try getting highlights when I was in high school, but my mom who knows from experience, told me, "Once you start, it's hard to stop." Wise words, I've discovered by watching my friends and acquaintances. Dalin especially should be grateful for this since it's probably saved tons of money that might have been spent on dyes, trips to the hairdresser, etc. 

I have an almost complete record of my life from the time I was 13. That's right, when I turned 13 and began to take my responsibilities in Young Women's seriously, I began writing in my journal and I haven't stopped since. I will throw it out there that it is not a perfect record. I have missed a day or two randomly. But even for those days, I would try to write at least a sentence from memory about that day. It's funny how now, when I miss a day during the week, it seems so difficult to remember the previous days. I forget what I did just the day before almost instantly. It's not a good thing, but it makes me grateful that I have a record to look back on. And there have been plenty of times where I was so glad I had thought to write a detail down. I hope that my journals (I have 28 or so of them) will prove to help my children and grandchildren someday. Whether they learn from my mistakes or just find some peace in my thoughts. 

I am pretty dang conservative. Politics, my lifestyle, my choices--other than the way I very loudly and openly voice my opinion--I am very conservative. What can I say? I like traditions. I do not apologize for that. Call me old-fashioned because I care about family values and my morality...people have and it doesn't matter to me one bit. I like the way the world was when my grandparents were kids.  It was simpler then. I am happy that I live in this day and age or I never would have the wonderful family or sweet husband that I do, but if I could pick a time to be raised, I would definitely have picked the early to mid-1900s. Something about their hardworking and humble lifestyles really appeals to me. Lots of people want me to keep my opinions about politics to myself. That isn't going to happen. I am very patriotic and I genuinely care about American and our Constitution. Do I think it is being upheld in the way our forefathers intended it to be? Not at all. By my reasoning, that gives me even more of a reason to stick up for it. 

I'm not superstitious...but I am a little stitious. Just kidding, I actually took that line from The Office. But it popped into my head and I thought it might give somebody with a good sense of humor a laugh. In reality, I am a little superstitious though. I avoid stepping on cracks when I walk, including when I'm at the mall or in a public place. I just don't make it super obvious. I think everyone has a little OCD, and that's my weird thing. I just don't want to take the chance that I really will break my mother's back (or anyone's back for that matter) by stepping on a stupid gap in the pavement or tile. Now everyone is going to watch me when I'm walking around with them. 

I do not hate anyone. I am of course human, and I have probably said that I do hate someone in frustration or in a joking manner, but truly, I do not hate anyone. That would not be very Christ-like. There are people whose views I disagree with and cruel people who I may strongly dislike, but I remind myself often that everyone is a child of God. Whether they act like it or not. One of my favorite quotes by Maya Angelou, which I have posted on our fridge reads: 

"Sometimes, when I grow frustrated with someone, I think, 'Watch yourself, that's a child of God.'"

A lot of times, I catch myself thinking something unkind about someone and I think, "Would I want someone to think that about me? How would I feel?" That usually puts an end to that. I try to love everybody. I love my Heavenly Father and I love His precious children. I love His children that are lost and do not even know it because they haven't found anything better in their lives yet. I wish I could share with them the happiness I feel as a member of the Church and help them to find that same happiness for themselves. That is why I love missionary work so much and why I share the gospel openly with anyone who is willing to hear it. Some people think that makes me weird. Well, truthfully I am weird and I know it, so I'm fine with that.

I would love to have twins. Sure it would be hard. And I don't even know if my body could handle carrying two babies at once, but I would love twin boys or one boy and a girl. My Grandpa French is a fraternal twin and apparently the fraternal twin gene is given from father to daughter. So my grandpa gave my mom that gene and she would have passed it to me. I seriously would be so excited to get twins at some point. But for now, I'm just overjoyed that I'm pregnant and that our little baby will be joining our lives in early August! 

Did you know these things about me?

Is there something I should have added?...maybe how I've been hit by lightning?

What is something unusual about you that I might not know?