Love

Let's talk about love. The pure love of Christ. Charity. 

Moroni 7: 47-48

45  And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

46  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

 47  But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

48  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

From one of my all-time favorite talks: 

"[God's love] is a love that transcends all of our mortal experience. It is a love that lifts and builds and strengthens, that calms and comforts us. The only way for us to increase our capacity to love in this way is to feel the love our Father in Heaven and His Son have for us. The more we feel Their love for us, the more we will increase our capacity to share that love with others.

The Savior is our example in everything—not only in what we should do but why we should do it. His life on earth was a life of invitation to us—to raise our sights a little higher, to forget our own problems and reach out to others."

-Elder Osguthorpe, "What If Love Were Our Only Motive?"

For more spiritual enlightenment, check out Elder Holland's, "How Do I Love Thee?" 

Marriage

***Disclaimer*** Sorry for the slightly mushy post--can't help it. 

On December 27th, 2014, I was sealed to the love of my life for all eternity in the Salt Lake City Temple. 

What bigger Divine Signature can you receive than kneeling at the alter in the temple, staring into the eyes of the one you love, and knowing that you've reached happily ever after? 

And then having it continue day by day, forever? 

I can't help but thank my Father in Heaven daily for this blessing, to be married to my best friend. I feel my Heavenly Father's love for me each day through my husband's love.

Tay and I had our Couple's Story and Wedding Day filmed, check them out!

PC: Mikki Platt Photography (who is THE best)

"The noblest yearning of the human heart is for a marriage that can endure beyond death. Fidelity to a temple marriage does that. It allows families to be together forever."
-Elder Russel M. Nelson

"The family is ordained of God. Marriage between a man and woman is essential to God's eternal plan."
-The Family: A Proclamation to the World 

Wake Up Calls

I believe that Heavenly Father gives us spiritual wake up calls--good and bad, to remind or chastise, but let's focus on the good. Like when you go to church and feel a rejuvenation and a renewed desire to improve, or when you go to the temple and receive comfort and instruction to just calm down and trust in God, or when you receive a confirmation of God's love for you that you seem to have slightly strayed from.

Well today was one of those beautiful days. But I got a wake up call for my focus in life:  recognizing God's hand. Isn't that ironic? My Divine Signature was about recognizing Divine Signatures.

Like a normal college student, I was eating Taco Bell in the Wilk before work. I saw an older woman walking towards my table with a bunch of bags and food, and she asked if she could share the table I was at. I said yes and kept studying for my test and eating my taco until she asked me what my major was. I replied and reciprocated, and she told me she was studying religious education and still had a while to go. Then I couldn't get her to stop talking about the gospel! (Which was great, of course, it just caught me a tad off-guard). She just kept saying how everything comes from God and that His way is the only way. She talked so fast with her Tongan accent that it was a little hard to hear everything. Then she just opened this large, spiral bound book full of quotes from prophets and apostles to show me her favorite quotes. She kept quoting them and saying, "He's right, you know..." and going off on how they have said how much we need God. 

At first, I was timid and wanting to eat and study uninterrupted. But then as she kept talking, and I'm sure others were watching with curiosity, I couldn't help but smile and prompt her along-even though I could barely get a few words in while she was talking. She told me about her life as a convert and told me how lucky I was to live in the gospel, knowing the true meaning of life.

When I told her I had to go, she offered to give me her large book. What?! How was I supposed to take this stranger's prized possession? She told me she had another copy in her bag. Only that lady would. But honestly, what an example: of a member missionary, of a friend, of an example of light and truth, of living your testimony, of a witness of the Prophet's divine calling, and of Christ. So I left with her book, happy to have met this example of living what you know with gratitude for God's Divine Signatures. What a wake up call. Anyone need a book? ;)



How have you recognized God today?

10 Influential Talks

Thinking about General Conference this coming weekend, I've been thinking about some of the talks/speeches that have had a great impact in my life. I am so grateful for prophets, apostles, and leaders who help us along on our path. Here are a few of the ones that came to mind-read them if you haven't already!

1. His Grace is Sufficient- Elder Wilcox
2. What If Love Were Our Only Motive?- Elder Osguthorpe
3. Of Things That Matter Most- President Eyring
4. Mountains to Climb- President Eyring
5. How to Obtain Revelation and Inspiration for Your Personal Life- Elder Scott
6. What Thinks Christ of Me?- Elder Andersen
7. The Race of Life- President Monson
8. Lord, I Believe- Elder Holland
9. Guardians of Virtue- Sister Dalton
10. Believe, Obey, and Endure- President Monson

To all you Pinterest haters...and lovers.

I love it when Pinterest is a Divine Signature in my day.

Yes, I do believe that it is a time-wasting site, and I admit fully to the temptation. But. As the prophets have said about technology, it can be used as a force for good!

Almost every single time I get on Pinterest, I notice a quote from a Prophet, a General Authority, one of their wives, the scriptures, C.S. Lewis, or another wise leader--something gospel related and inspiring. I pin them to my "Inspirational" board and use it as resource for bad days, troubled times, talks, sharing with friends, and to post quotes on FB. What an amazing tool to be able help it be seen by millions around the world.

Elder Bednar stated:

"Social media channels are global tools that can personally and positively impact large numbers of individuals and families. And I believe the time has come for us as disciples of Christ to use these inspired tools appropriately and much more effectively to testify of God, the Eternal Father, and His plan of happiness for His children." - Elder David A. Bednar at today's #BYUdevo.

 *Watch the devotional here: BYUtv.org: http://www.byutv.org/watch/event/852b379b-54c5-468b-97b2-ea221b4a56c1

So. #ShareGoodness
I'ts just a small example, but all technology included: here goes to taking the challenge to more effectively testify of God and His plan for each of us! And to enabling Divine Signatures in another's day through the blessings we use daily.

A few inspiring pins to share:

(Bad day and you need to see more? Click HERE)

Recipe for Daily Happiness

Yesterday I went to Michael's to get some craft supplies- I'm learning how to crochet! I walked up to the checkout to pay for my items. A sweet old man started ringing them up and asked me how I was doing. I replied (like normal), "Good, thanks, how are you?" He smiled at me and said something similar to "You know, I'm doing fabulous going on fantabulous!" I smiled and told him I was glad he was doing so well. He proceeded to tell me he likes to show his customers that they can choose to make their day even better.

What a wise old man. 

This has got me thinking about the Plan of Happiness and the gift of agency. What a daily, hourly Divine Signature we each have--and I know in my case--under appreciate.

The sweet man's recipe for daily happiness:

1. Choose to progress.

I'd like to add an old Bishop's 3 suggestions (all require agency):

       2.  Prayer 

       3.  Scripture Study

       4.  Service

       5.  Smiling

CHOOSE to have a very happy day!

*That wise man was the perfect example of how we can magnify our callings of discipleship: serving others and sharing our testimony allllll the time. 

"Why I'm Not Going On a Mission"

One of my Facebook friends recently shared this post: Why I'm Not Going on a Mission(<this blog post is right on). I'm sharing now because I'd like to tell you why I chose not to go on a mission, and the Divine Signatures I received during my decision process. 

Before the mission age change announcement in 2012, I never thought I would go on a mission. I remember hearing the announcement, getting a text from my sister saying she was going, and wondering if this would change my future as well. I knew I would have to pray about it and see if this was right for me. Before, I had just started feeling like everything was fitting in place: I had just received my confirmation that it was right to start college summer semester and was beginning to feel at peace. Then when they announcement came, it felt like everything shattered and I had to figure it out all over again-and it made me a little mad, to be honest. 

I moved ahead with my plans, but constantly prayed about the decision. Meanwhile, it was hard to get on FB: every post was a girl saying they were going, or a boy saying this would change the standard and boys would only want to marry RMs, too. Adults only asked about future plans: college? mission? Every time I hesitated to answer, and every time I felt like everyone expected me to go. Even though people said it wasn't my duty to go, it sure didn't feel like they meant it. I stuck to what the Prophet and my parents said: they were the ones I believed when they said it wasn't my duty. Boys at college would tell me I need to go. Sunday School and Relief Society lessons were planned around the idea of going on a mission.

It wasn't until after conference that I could say no confidently, without hesitation or guilt. At conference I felt the approval of my Heavenly Father, and I finally felt at peace with deciding not to go. My sister and a friend, both on their missions, also helped me a lot through the process. My friend told me to study the story of the brother of Jared, building the barges. This is what I wrote to my friend when I got my answer:

"[In conference,] just wait for the Auzzie in the Sunday Afternoon session. Answer to my prayers. It was totally a little reminder from my Father in Heaven that He knows me personally and was trying to get my attention as I was listening so that He could comfort and guide me. That message was so personal. And to make it even better, it was given by an Australian, which is where my sister is right now. I've talked to her a little about my feelings toward a mission, and she's been so sweet about it. Just another little reminder that Heavenly Father cares and that He is there. 

So my answer? :) Be patient. I honestly don't think I'm meant to go on a mission. Which stinks, because right now I really want to. But a thought came into my head, a phrase from one of your letters saying you love the struggle this decision is putting me through, because you can tell I'm growing closer to my Heavenly Father. I think that's why I'm having this ongoing struggle. I think that's why I literally just can never decide, even when I know He trusts me to choose and I really could go or stay home and everything will work out. But looking back, I've learned so much about myself and my relationship with God. And as important as actually deciding if I'm going or not, I think the struggle I've been going through was the most important part for me. I feel so much peace now, I don't feel anxious or like I have to decide. The pressure and question is still in the back of my mind, of course, but it's not tearing me up inside like it was. So now I'm going to go back and write down everything I've learned, and continue forward in patience!" 

So. I am not going on a mission, because I felt the peaceful prompting that my decision not to go was right. I know Heavenly Father has a plan, and that nothing is coincidence—merely Divine Signatures to help us along our path. The only thing we actually possess and are able to give to the Father is our will, and when we do that, all works out for the best. He has a better plan. Through this entire decision making process, I learned about the beauty of agency. I learned that sometimes, Heavenly Father just trusts you to make the decision yourself. I decided not to go, and He has supported me through it all. He will always stop you if it is wrong, but there are times we must move forward in faith, acting on our best judgment and proceeding with caution. Sometimes He lets you struggle with decisions, but I cannot be more thankful for that experience: the struggle brought me closer to my Savior and my Father in Heaven.