The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints

I'm getting really tired of the "Mormons aren't Christians" hooplah that is becoming prevalent again in the media with Mitt Romney's campaign. I know that this falsehood is as old as the church itself, but to me it just signifies ignorance on every level. After this article was published in the Salt Lake Tribune, I have a new appreciation for the fact that whatever you say online is fair game, and is most likely read by people you don't even know. So here goes:

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I believe in the reality of Jesus Christ as the literal Son of God and accept him as my personal savior. I know that through him every person who has ever lived has the opportunity to earn the right to live in his presence, as we once did.

I believe that Jesus lived personally on the earth. He lived a perfect life, performing many miracles and touching the lives of thousands. He was more than a great prophet. He was and is the literal son of God. He established His Church upon the earth during his ministry. My family and I are members of that same church today, as restored by the prophet, Joseph Smith. He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross, gave his life for each one of us, and ultimately was resurrected. Death does not prevail because of the Savior's sacrifice.

The first Article of Faith, written by Joseph Smith in 1842 states:
"We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost."

So, to anyone with the belief that Mormons aren't Christians: You are wrong! I urge you to do more research before you spread lies such as this one. Go to lds.org or mormon.org and see how each homepage is filled with pictures and testimonies of Christ. Click on a link or two and read  the testimonies of Christ of our leaders and members. We know of his divinity.

We are Christians.

Don't Quit

I memorized this poem in 6th grade. It seems rather applicable in my life right now.


When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, 
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, 
When the funds are low and the debts are high, 
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, 
When care is pressing you down a bit, 
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit. 


Life is queer with its twists and turns, 
As every one of us sometimes learns, 
And many a failure turns about, 
When he might have won had he stuck it out; 
Don't give up though the pace seems slow-- 
You may succeed with another blow. 


Often the goal is nearer than, 
It seems to a faint and faltering man, 
Often the struggler has given up, 
When he might have captured the victor's cup, 
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown. 


 Success is failure turned inside out-- 
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, 
And you never can tell how close you are, 
It may be near when it seems so far, 
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-- 
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit. 


 - Author unknown

Kony2012

I know; I'm at it again.

If you've watched the Kony 2012 video, you need to hear this woman's response. She has verbalized perfectly everything that doesn't sit well with me about this. It's a woman from Uganda explaining the situation there. You might be surprised at what she has to say.

"I think we need to have sound, intelligent campaigns that are geared towards real policy shifts rather than a very sensationalized story that is out to make person cry, and at the end of the day we forget about it... If you are showing me as voiceless, as hopeless, you have no space telling my story. You shouldn't be telling my story if you don't believe I have the power to change what is going on."



The church spends millions each year on humanitarian efforts in Africa. Seriously. Go to lds.org and search "humanitarian aid in Africa". Hundreds of articles will pop up, dating back to the 70s, that show that a lot of us are already part of an organization that is doing something. Our tithing dollars and other donations are spent helping people in African countries all the time. And unlike those "charities" everyone is so excited about sending money to, the church won't keep 70% of the donation for themselves.




Do I think the people of Africa deserve peace? Yes. But one viral video is not going to change what has been going on for centuries. Let's trust those whom we believe have been called by God to decide what's best for them.

I just might be that crazy

Ok.

Enough is enough.

I've used the excuse of winter blues and a busy schedule to let myself get fat. 

I've rationalized a few pounds of weight gain here and there, and now I'm the heaviest I've ever been in my life. 

The time has come to quit substituting crap food for fruits and veggies, and quit making excuses!!

So, I decided to register for this:

Yep. It's a done deal.

I decided to start with the 5k. I know that's a small challenge for those of you who do this all the time, but for a person like me who really hates to run, this is HUGE. 

The money raised also goes to benefit members of the community who can't afford cancer treatments. 

C'mon, that's puppy dog eyes in text form.

So, changes are coming. Those thighs I had when I was in ballet that I thought were massive and ugly? Yeah, those babies are coming back! Candy and soda are suspended until further notice. I have always wanted to be one of those people who can enjoy a sliced tomato and avocado for lunch... Ok, so maybe I'm not quite there yet, but it's definitely time for me to quit hanging out on the upper end of my healthy weight range and start enjoying a healthier lifestyle.

It just may be time to be one of those people.

Dreaming

Our future home

I will own this house one day.

Starting out on the home stretch

Yes, I am finally able to say that this is my last semester of prereqs before I can apply to SLCC's nursing program. I'm super excited, and it's nice to finally feel like I'm moving away from the seemingly endless list of classes I need to take before applying. I'm still planning on applying to the U's program in the Fall, so I have a few more (harder) classes to take this year, but the light is beginning to appear at the end of the tunnel. I was noticing this week that even though I was really dreading the start of the semester, and I know I'm going to be busy, I had a really good feeling at the end of the first day of school. I realized that this is just a reaffirmation that I really am on the right path. The middle of the semester will inevitably bring on its usual feelings of inadequacy, most likely involving more than one pep talk from Ian, crying, and the whole "What-am-I-doing-with-my-life" soul searching that we all experience at some point, but I'm feeling pretty good right now. In the first presidency address in the Ensign this month, President Monson talks about "David and Goliath" situations that we come across in our expedition through life.

"There will be times when you will be frightened and discouraged. You may feel that you are defeated. The odds of obtaining victory may appear overwhelming. At times you may feel like David trying to fight Goliath. But remember—David did win!"

As I pondered that message, I realized that David just had to find that sweet spot between Goliath's eyes that made it all work. After talking to Meg about it, she pointed out that David didn't do it, the rock was led to where it needed to be because of his faith. Good point. I came to the overwhelming conclusion that there is a spot somewhere. Where or when I'm not sure at this point, but it does exist. So just as the rock was guided from the slingshot to Goliath's forehead, if I just keep on this path and have faith (That's the hard part), I'll be led to my spot. I'll reach my goal. And then, simply because of the irony of life, I'll discover my next Goliath.

It's the holiday season...

This season has been good for me. I've been busy, as always, but I feel like I've taken more time to sit back and enjoy the spirit of the Christmas season. I've listened to more Christmas music on Pandora than I have in probably the last five years combined. Thanks to Pinterest I've been able to explore my creative side and confirm to myself and others that I really can create something more than slightly artistic.

Case in point:

Yeah, I totally made this guy by myself. I am Becky's daughter after all. :)

I've been volunteering up at Primary Children's for the past couple months, and it has been such a great experience. It's amazing to see the resilience of kids and to observe their pure happiness and good attitudes even when they're sick. So, of course I had to make it to the Festival of Trees this year. Ian was a good sport and came along for the trip, even though he didn't really want to. 

This was part of the gingerbread house contest. A Rapunzel castle from Tangled.

I couldn't resist a picture of this. Notice Carl, Russell and Doug on the front lawn. So cute!!

The U

My favorite tree of the festival. I shot my eye out!

Also notice Flik on the top with his tongue stuck to the pole. 

I thought it was terribly clever.

Up was a popular theme this year evidently. 

I liked the presents underneath the tree for all the characters.

The second official Harwell Family Christmas Tree!!