Hello!!
I recently returned from a mini-mission! On Thursday, June 6th, we had a Missionary Training Center experience. It was pretty much like a fireside directed by the Chicago mission president and his wife, as well as two missionaries from the area. The next day, we began our experience as mini-missionaries. Here, I'll tell you some of the stuff that went down last weekend. I've broken it up into days/times of day. Keep in mind, this is an ultra-condensed summary.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Saturday, June 1, 2013
The Best Spokesperson
As I was sitting here, eating my apple slices and caramel (I think the company that packaged them needs to have some lessons in proportions. My caramel was most definitely on the lacking side), I was reading some selections from the Institute manual (Institute is a weekly church class that totally rocks, in case you were wondering). The topic of study this term is the teachings of living prophets of God.
I've posted briefly about prophets before, but at the bottom, you'll find a link to a great resource if you're still a little bit unsure about what exactly a prophet is. In fact, anywhere in the post you see a red asterisk (*), there will be a related URL included at the bottom. (Feel free to browse around on any of these sites.)
So, why do you think we need a living prophet? Or do we even need one? How do we know if someone's a real prophet, anyway? I mean, there have been more than a couple individuals claiming to know when the end of the world was going to be, for example (and that didn't turn out so hot for them, did it?).
Answer those questions for yourself. And then, if you're an incredibly awesome person, you probably want to keep reading to see what I have to say about them, too. (Okay, even if you don't read what I have to say, you're still probably an incredibly awesome person. But you're just really, really, really cool if you keep reading.)
I've posted briefly about prophets before, but at the bottom, you'll find a link to a great resource if you're still a little bit unsure about what exactly a prophet is. In fact, anywhere in the post you see a red asterisk (*), there will be a related URL included at the bottom. (Feel free to browse around on any of these sites.)
So, why do you think we need a living prophet? Or do we even need one? How do we know if someone's a real prophet, anyway? I mean, there have been more than a couple individuals claiming to know when the end of the world was going to be, for example (and that didn't turn out so hot for them, did it?).
Answer those questions for yourself. And then, if you're an incredibly awesome person, you probably want to keep reading to see what I have to say about them, too. (Okay, even if you don't read what I have to say, you're still probably an incredibly awesome person. But you're just really, really, really cool if you keep reading.)
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Helaman 5:12
So, today, I'm basically going to give a little bit of Krista's mind when reading Helaman 5:12 in the Book of Mormon.
Here's the scripture in its uninterrupted fullness:
"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
Pretty good stuff, right? Now, I'm going to add in my own commentary [that'll be in green and enclosed in brackets].
Here's the scripture in its uninterrupted fullness:
"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
Pretty good stuff, right? Now, I'm going to add in my own commentary [that'll be in green and enclosed in brackets].
Friday, May 10, 2013
Who was Joseph Smith?
Today's post is about a topic--a person and an event--that some people scoff at. You may have heard rumors concerning Mormons' reverence of the prophet Joseph Smith. Let me correct any misinformation upfront: We do not worship Joseph Smith. We hold him in our hearts as a true, righteous, and productive servant of God--that God to whom we direct our worship.
Having said that, I'll begin telling you the account of Joseph Smith in (mostly) my own words. At the bottom of the post, you'll find a video depicting some of the key points I'll mention.
Having said that, I'll begin telling you the account of Joseph Smith in (mostly) my own words. At the bottom of the post, you'll find a video depicting some of the key points I'll mention.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Special Stake Conference with Russell M. Nelson
Today, Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came to the Rockford area and spoke to nearly 1,100 members and visitors of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here's a picture of him:
Remember apostles from Jesus's time, like Peter, James, and John? Well, Elder Nelson is an apostle of God, just like they were! That's why it's so amazing to have been in the same room as him, and hear him speak to us directly and personally.
There were so many great things that he said, I can't share them all. But here were some really amazing points he made (some are direct quotes, but--as I was taking notes by hand--you'll have to excuse me for not having everything verbatim):
Remember apostles from Jesus's time, like Peter, James, and John? Well, Elder Nelson is an apostle of God, just like they were! That's why it's so amazing to have been in the same room as him, and hear him speak to us directly and personally.
There were so many great things that he said, I can't share them all. But here were some really amazing points he made (some are direct quotes, but--as I was taking notes by hand--you'll have to excuse me for not having everything verbatim):
Friday, May 3, 2013
Haters Gonna Hate. Mormons Gonna Morm.
So, most of you have probably figured out by now (if you hadn't already known) that I'm a Mormon. Just so we're clear... I have only one mother, I DO believe in and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, and I definitely believe in The Bible. Oh, and no, I don't have horns and a tail.
The point of this post is to give you just a little bit of insight on what I believe, know, live, and love. (If you're connected with me on Facebook, you might have seen my post from a few weeks ago--the link to my mormon.org profile. Here it is, in case you missed it: http://mormon.org/me/BY1G/KristaN. If you click on that link, it might behoove you to check out the Personal Stories, as well as the FAQs at the bottom of the page.)
The point of this post is to give you just a little bit of insight on what I believe, know, live, and love. (If you're connected with me on Facebook, you might have seen my post from a few weeks ago--the link to my mormon.org profile. Here it is, in case you missed it: http://mormon.org/me/BY1G/KristaN. If you click on that link, it might behoove you to check out the Personal Stories, as well as the FAQs at the bottom of the page.)
Friday, April 19, 2013
"Of course." Say WHAT?!
Good morning!
So, today I was getting ready for the day. I was looking in the mirror and noticed something about my physical appearance that... isn't necessarily my favorite feature, shall we say? Yeah, I was being just a little bit hard on myself. It was stupid, really.
You know those imaginary conversations you have in your head? Like, you would say to Mr. So-and-So, "Mr. So-and-So, [insert your choice of dialogue here]," and he would respond, "Why, Ms. Jane Doe, [insert your choice of response here]!" (Come on, don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. We all do it.)
Well, I had one of those moments. In this particular case, the Mr. So-and-So of my imagination (or I suppose you might call him my conscience) said, in reference to my appearance, "Is there anything you don't like about yourself?" And I responded, "Of course."
"Of. Course."
WHAT is wrong with that statement?
So, today I was getting ready for the day. I was looking in the mirror and noticed something about my physical appearance that... isn't necessarily my favorite feature, shall we say? Yeah, I was being just a little bit hard on myself. It was stupid, really.
You know those imaginary conversations you have in your head? Like, you would say to Mr. So-and-So, "Mr. So-and-So, [insert your choice of dialogue here]," and he would respond, "Why, Ms. Jane Doe, [insert your choice of response here]!" (Come on, don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. We all do it.)
Well, I had one of those moments. In this particular case, the Mr. So-and-So of my imagination (or I suppose you might call him my conscience) said, in reference to my appearance, "Is there anything you don't like about yourself?" And I responded, "Of course."
"Of. Course."
WHAT is wrong with that statement?
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Title Explanation (This is REALLY exciting guys; you should read it... Yeah...)
Hello!
First, I feel I should explain the title of this blog. So here's the (not so) exciting story:
A couple of months ago, I decided to try making a blog. I sat at the computer and tried coming up with a blog name (I'm pretty sure I was watching Netflix at the time. If you know me, you probably know I'm so non-multi-tasker-ish that I can't even put on slide-on shoes while brushing my teeth)... I got tired of my creativity roadblock and forgot about it for a while.
Today, I came across a link to someone else's blog, which reminded me of my own pathetic and failed attempt of a few months ago. Determined to share my beliefs and convictions with the world (...well, okay, I really just didn't feel like doing homework or practicing piano), I decided to give it another shot. Again, I was faced with the challenge of coming up with a creative, honest, and *not* stupid title (hopefully, I accomplished at least 2 of the 3).
Due to a train of thought with entirely too many cars to explain, I thought back on one of my previous Facebook statuses. I had said, "I love the seemingly little things in life that make your day go from average to fantastic." (And in my less-than-spectacular memory, I thought I'd said "seemingly small things in life." Whatevs. Minor technicality. Besides, everyone loves alliterations, right?)
And then I got to thinking... So many things in life ARE small, but they have the ability to totally change anything for the better! And the Lord uses "small and simple things" to "bring about his great and eternal purposes" (Alma 37:6-7). So, if small things are good enough for Him, they're good enough for me!
And that's the story.
Oh, yes. I'm a rather short person, myself. So I suppose that adds to my yup-that-works feeling of the title.
I'd like to...
Learn more about Jesus Christ: http://mormon.org/beliefs/jesus-christ
Learn about God's commandments: http://mormon.org/beliefs/commandments
Request a free copy of the Book of Mormon: http://mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon
Request a free copy of the Bible: http://mormon.org/free-bible
Meet with Mormon missionaries: http://mormon.org/missionaries
Locate a meetinghouse: http://mormon.org/worship
Find a family history center: https://familysearch.org/locations/centerlocator
Chat with Church representatives: http://mormon.org/chat
Read frequently asked questions: http://mormon.org/faq
First, I feel I should explain the title of this blog. So here's the (not so) exciting story:
A couple of months ago, I decided to try making a blog. I sat at the computer and tried coming up with a blog name (I'm pretty sure I was watching Netflix at the time. If you know me, you probably know I'm so non-multi-tasker-ish that I can't even put on slide-on shoes while brushing my teeth)... I got tired of my creativity roadblock and forgot about it for a while.
Today, I came across a link to someone else's blog, which reminded me of my own pathetic and failed attempt of a few months ago. Determined to share my beliefs and convictions with the world (...well, okay, I really just didn't feel like doing homework or practicing piano), I decided to give it another shot. Again, I was faced with the challenge of coming up with a creative, honest, and *not* stupid title (hopefully, I accomplished at least 2 of the 3).
Due to a train of thought with entirely too many cars to explain, I thought back on one of my previous Facebook statuses. I had said, "I love the seemingly little things in life that make your day go from average to fantastic." (And in my less-than-spectacular memory, I thought I'd said "seemingly small things in life." Whatevs. Minor technicality. Besides, everyone loves alliterations, right?)
And then I got to thinking... So many things in life ARE small, but they have the ability to totally change anything for the better! And the Lord uses "small and simple things" to "bring about his great and eternal purposes" (Alma 37:6-7). So, if small things are good enough for Him, they're good enough for me!
And that's the story.
Oh, yes. I'm a rather short person, myself. So I suppose that adds to my yup-that-works feeling of the title.
I'd like to...
Learn more about Jesus Christ: http://mormon.org/beliefs/jesus-christ
Learn about God's commandments: http://mormon.org/beliefs/commandments
Request a free copy of the Book of Mormon: http://mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon
Request a free copy of the Bible: http://mormon.org/free-bible
Meet with Mormon missionaries: http://mormon.org/missionaries
Locate a meetinghouse: http://mormon.org/worship
Find a family history center: https://familysearch.org/locations/centerlocator
Chat with Church representatives: http://mormon.org/chat
Read frequently asked questions: http://mormon.org/faq
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