I love belly laughs.
I hate bananas.
I think I could live happily on European breads, cheeses, and fruits.
I am in the Nursery in my ward, and I am learning to enjoy it more every week.
I love newborn babies--their sounds, the fact that they snuggle into you, how they like to keep their legs tucked up underneath them at all times.
I value kindness above any other quality.
I admire scriptorians.
I want to work with pregnant teenagers and counsel with them about adoption or keeping the baby.
Someday I want to be a foster mom and give a second (or tenth) chance to the kids no one wants.
I want a lot of kids but I don't want to have to drive a fifteen passenger van around.
I am very hard on myself.
I married a man who completes me in every way possible, and because of our bond, we have two beautiful children who are full of life and curiosity.
I have a deep testimony of the Book of Mormon, and that even if we scientifically prove that every historical event happened and the characters are real, we are left with nothing but a history book without understanding that (along with the Bible) it contains the truthfulness of the Gospel--and the way to a spiritual witness of that truth.
Sometimes I like to ask myself the "tough questions" to see if I have an answer I could explain to anyone, no matter his or her beliefs. Sometimes I realize that it all comes down to faith.
I tend to first see only the good in people, but I always assume they are seeing the worst in me.
I am disorganized and a major procrastinator.
I am only 23 years old, and I live in a place where people assume I'm the nanny instead off the Mother.
Aaaannnd. . .there's more. But I will spare you all :). I am excited to really get to know everyone here, and I am excited to hear the thoughts and discussion questions you have about the chapters we're reading in this beloved Book of Mormon.
Since the rest of you were so amazing and had great spiritual thoughts to share, I thought I'd throw in one of my very favorite scriptures:
D&C 88:49-50:
49 The alight shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not; nevertheless, the day shall come when you shall bcomprehend even God, being quickened in him and by him.
50 Then shall ye know that ye have aseen me, that I am, and that I am the true blight that is in you, and that you are in me; otherwise ye could not abound.
(this entire section is good. Read the rest here)
I just love it because it talks about how we understand the light because of the darkness, and it make me grateful for those dark times because I realize how much closer to Heavenly Father I become and how much more I understand the light, or the Gospel. I think sometimes in this church we talk so much about how we need to endure to the end, and that trials are for our good, and that Heavenly Father is there for us (all of those things are obviously true), that we forget that it is perfectly okay to cry and have down days and experience sorrow. Even Christ, our older brother and exemplar, did. In fact, that is a necessary part of our lives, and that is the gift that Adam and Eve chose to give us when they partook of the fruit in the Garden of Eden.
"Adam fell that men might be, but men are, that they might have joy." Adam fell that we might be--that we could be born, and born into a life where we can understand the beauty of the light Heavenly Father provides, because we also understand the darkness. Without darkness, there is no light.
And, just because I love it so much, here is one of my favorite quotes from Ezra Taft Benson:
"There are times when you simply have to righteously hang on and outlast the devil until his depressive spirit leaves you." (Given in Gen. Conference 1974, see Nov. 1974 Ensign)
So, on that note, this is another verse from that chapter that I found fitting to all of us at this time:
77 And I give unto you a commandment that you shall ateach one another the bdoctrine of the kingdom.
(p.s. blog: ejejohnson.blogspot.com, but I think you all know this one)
(this entire section is good. Read the rest here)
I just love it because it talks about how we understand the light because of the darkness, and it make me grateful for those dark times because I realize how much closer to Heavenly Father I become and how much more I understand the light, or the Gospel. I think sometimes in this church we talk so much about how we need to endure to the end, and that trials are for our good, and that Heavenly Father is there for us (all of those things are obviously true), that we forget that it is perfectly okay to cry and have down days and experience sorrow. Even Christ, our older brother and exemplar, did. In fact, that is a necessary part of our lives, and that is the gift that Adam and Eve chose to give us when they partook of the fruit in the Garden of Eden.
"Adam fell that men might be, but men are, that they might have joy." Adam fell that we might be--that we could be born, and born into a life where we can understand the beauty of the light Heavenly Father provides, because we also understand the darkness. Without darkness, there is no light.
And, just because I love it so much, here is one of my favorite quotes from Ezra Taft Benson:
"There are times when you simply have to righteously hang on and outlast the devil until his depressive spirit leaves you." (Given in Gen. Conference 1974, see Nov. 1974 Ensign)
So, on that note, this is another verse from that chapter that I found fitting to all of us at this time:
77 And I give unto you a commandment that you shall ateach one another the bdoctrine of the kingdom.
78 Teach ye diligently and my agrace shall attend you, that you may be binstructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand.
AMEN to that!
AMEN to that!
(p.s. blog: ejejohnson.blogspot.com, but I think you all know this one)
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