Peculiar People

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.



Many may wonder what makes us tick: we are happy joyful people who love to laugh (but only at certain things). Many have mentioned a "Mormon Glow" that surrounds us, that reaches out and touches people, makes their lives brighter. Many have pondered at what in the world would make teenage boys give up two years of girls and fun and freedom, and girls give up a year and a half.

What are some other things that make us a peculiar people? Most certainly, in the world, we are the weird ones. Have you ever wondered:

What drives us to love our siblings (that's crazy, right?) ?
How we are willing to give up tea and coffee, and (gasp) all alcohol as adults (even adults?!)?
What reason does a fourteen year old boy have for stating up til midnight studying the words of dead people in books with hundreds of pages? (It's called the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in case you were wondering)
Why that girl decided to wear a modest swimsuit when it was obviously not the "cool" thing to do?
Why an eight year old all of a sudden feels the need to visit an elderly member of the community?
How we have the courage to stand in front of a history class and simply and clearly speak about our beliefs?
Why we smile so much?
Why we all love Star Wars and the Princess Bride?
How we convince our boys to give up their Saturday to do yard work for people who can't do it themselves?
How we keep our hope in any trial that besets us? And how we continue doing all these things even though we are going through something really hard?
What we bribe the high schoolers with in order to (now listen to this one) get them to wake up an HOUR AND A HALF early to attend a class at church BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS EVERY DAY?
What prompts a 12 year old girl to walk up to the pulpit once a month to share her feelings with the whole congregation?
Why we decide to fast for 24 hours (that's right, no food or water) once a month?
How our teenagers find fun in clean humor?
What is so much fun about churchy summer camps? (Wahoooo EFY!!!!!!!!!)
Why a girl keeps a journal?
What makes it enjoyable for us to do family history work and then take names to the temple?
Why we look so happy when we come out of the temple?
Why our ancestors have up everything they had to cross the plains to go to Utah? (Of all places ;) just kidding)
How our young men all decide to be ordained to the Priesthood as Deacons (age 12),Teachers (age 14), and Priests (age 16)? Yes, that is true. We do that.
What we do to get the whole family together to sit and watch general conference for ten hours in a weekend twice a year? In which we listen to the Prophet and other church leaders, men and women alike?
How our mothers are so good at making our homes a place where we can feel the Spirit every day?
Why our fathers give us blessings when we need comfort or healing?

There are many other things we do that definitely count as peculiar. My head hurts right now so I can't think of all of them.

What is the answer to all these questions? (Well, maybe not the Star Wars and Princess Bride one, but..)

We believe.

We believe in Jesus Christ. We want to follow his example. We know his commandments, and we want to do his will. We know these things to be true, and we want to live them. We are not ashamed of this gospel, and we will do whatever it takes to help others feel God's love. The world may see that as weird, peculiar, and confusing, but The Lord doesn't.

I'm so grateful for this gospel. 

And I'm proud to be peculiar. 

<3 Eliza

Best Friends--Forever

At EFY this week I learned so many amazing things!! Those personal stories and lessons I'm sure will appear here, but for now I want to tell you about what I learned coming home.


At EFY I made so many new friends and grew old friendships, but when it came to the end of the week, there were only five friends that stayed with me. They were my family. When my dad came to pick me up to drive the four hours home, I hugged him. I don't remember the last time that I hugged him when it wasn't me crying. And I was so happy to see my brother. He is almost my height now, and I forgot how old he was. But when I saw him after a week away I felt such loyalty and love. I think that's part of how the Spirit works: how it brings greater love for our family and friends.

Then when we got home my sisters were so excited to see me. And I was so happy to see my mom. She is one of my best friends. My mom and sisters had made one of those "candy grams" for me when you use the candies to spell out sentences. It was so cute, and I felt so loved to see that they put the thought into getting my favorite candy and making something meaningful.

I'm so glad that my family--my best friends--can be together forever. Our party doesn't need to last one night, our spiritual growth doesn't halt at the end of a week, our friendships don't dwindle over the years. I love my family.

And though I miss EFY, I am so glad to be home.

<3 Eliza

Kicking myself in the shins

I really have got to get on top of this blogging thing. How was I able to keep it up during school but not after?!

On a completely unrelated note, I received an email today that touched me.  I found a little gold dust in the sand today.

A couple years ago I signed up for this "Daily Message" on lds.org. It's pretty cool, and if you don't get it you totally should. Every day I get a quote from general conference and once in a while the quote lines up exactly with what I am dealing with that day. Sadly, the fact that these messages are so common leads a girl to take them for granted. (I guess that's kind of how the Spirit speaks to us too.)

Anyway, this was today's quote:

"Being grateful in our circumstances is an act of faith in God. It requires that we trust God and hope for things we may not see but which are true. By being grateful, we follow the example of our beloved Savior, who said, “Not my will, but thine, be done.” True gratitude is an expression of hope and testimony. It comes from acknowledging that we do not always understand the trials of life but trusting that one day we will."~Uchtdorf

The ending was the gold for me. Gratitude comes from "acknowledging that we do not always understand the trials of life but trusting that one day we will."

Yeah I really liked that. 

Alright, so let's just complete this little chord here and start a somewhat-unrelated note. I'm going to Efy next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That deserves 101 exclamation points, but I'm too lazy. I had girls camp last week and Efy this week, and I just can't wait! 

Yeah that's all. I will report back on the many adventures of EFY in a week. 

Signing off (or singing off? ;)
<3Eliza

Happy!

Ok. School is out. I'm done.

Problem is, just because you're done with school doesn't mean I'm done with busy-ness. Work. And camp. And preparing for camp. And worrying about camp. And hanging out with friends--so tiring! ;)

But I learned you just need to be happy now. Now. Not tomorrow, or when your hair looks good, or when you turn 16. Now.



I liked Uchtdorf's talk in general conference about gratitude. He said that we should be grateful for rainy days too, because without rain there would be no rainbow. I also like the idea of being grateful no matter how MANY blessings you have.

Gratitude is a big part of happiness.

Be happy!!!

<3 Eliza

Last Post (until summer!!!)

Alright I'm gonna make this quick because I need to get back to studying.

Summer is three weeks away for me. Some people are already off. Okay--that's not fair. But I will get through these last few weeks. These last few tests. These last hours of squeezing my brain to get the last drop of intelligence out of it. Yep, this summer is going to be really fun.

How do you stay motivated through the end?!

Endurance. Endurance is about keeping the end goal in mind, but not forgetting to have joy in the journey. Summer is coming, but I can enjoy time spent with family or the little victories of getting a good test grade.

Okay now I gotta get back to endurance. See you in three weeks!!!

Ten things I have learned from Seminary!

Seminary is over. I'm really sad. I loved reading the Book of Mormon. Next year is church history/D+C, then Old Testament, and in my senior year I get to study the New Testament!!!! That will be a great way to end high school.

But I'm sad to be done with the Book of Mormon. Sure, I read and (try to) study it every night, but there is nothing quite like starting every morning being immersed in it's pages. I get to start the day off feeling the Holy Ghost, and I never want to trade that for extra sleep.

Well, I've learned a lot from seminary this year, about myself and others, and God's plan for his children. Here's some things I've learned:

1. "Early to rise" without "early to bed" makes a girl angry and sick in the head.

I love nine I clock! If you go to bed much later, I guarantee you will fall asleep in math class. If you are going to seminary, make sure you go to bed early so that you can be happy all day! ;)

2. Daylight Savings saves me

Or atleast in the fall when we move the clocks backward. Because you get tired earlier, it feels like you wake up later, and the sun is actually shining when I look out my window!!!

3. Myth: waking up early makes kids grumpy
Fact: waking up early to read the scriptures and feel the Spirit keeps you happy the whole day!

Starting off the day with seminary gets you focused on what's truly important. It makes it easier to deal kindly with annoyances, be kind to those who are not-so-nice, and keep a clear head through disappointments.

4. Taking notes will actually make it easier to recieve instruction

Somebody somewhere said something (if any of you people know what I'm talking about, could you help me find it) about how as we record spiritual promptings it makes it easier to recieve further revelation. It is true! (Ooh actually I wrote that quote down in my seminary journal, I'll try to find it)

5. Inspiration can come through a variety of sources

One time, this guy in class whom I didn't know very well (I thought he was annoying and uncaring about anything spiritual) bore his testimony. It made me cry. I really felt the Spirit bearing witness that, yes, I could keep going (I was going through the difficulty of the move and I needed Heavenly Father's help. Well, answers to prayers can come from the most unlikely of places).

6. Obedience brings blessings

Consistent obedience is hard. Going to seminary everyday, reading the scriptures everyday, praying everyday, trying to follow Jesus Christ everyday...it's hard. It's hard because, while there are some amazing times when something touches you or you feel on fire like nothing can get in your way, it doesn't always happen. I'll admit, not every morning going to seminary made me feel like I was floating on clouds the rest of the day. Sometimes I was unhappy because I could've used that hour doing homework. But those times when you do feel the Spirit, when you feel Christ's love and strength, when you have that knowledge-- it's those times that make it worth it. Trust in His promises--blessings will come.

7. Invitations are not too scary

Well, actually they scare me to death. But we had an invite-a-friend-to-seminary week. Scariest thing ever. Who in their right mind would go to some church at 6 am to read a book they've never heard of?! But I prayed about inviting someone, and felt like it was the right thing to do. And guess what? My first invitation--rejected. Second--rejected. Eighth--maybe. After following up with #8 she finally said yes!!! But what this taught me is that I shouldn't be afraid of rejection because it doesn't kill you, those friends don't leave you, and it feels great when someone says yes! Don't be afraid of inviting!

8. Teenagers are surprisingly insightful

Surprisingly is the key. Kids can be stupid, but we are feeling this hastening of the work and we are doing whatever it takes to come closer to Christ.

9. Conducting music is great!

Throughout the year, I served as seminary president for a couple months. Let me tell you, that was rough. So when I was released, I did everything I could to help the new president. That usually meant leading the music. And I found that I love it!!

10. I love the Book of Mormon!

I have prayed many times asking God if this book is true. And I know that if anyone else does the same they can know for themselves. Read it, study it, and then pray. That's what I did. But it took a lot of patience. Now I can say that the Book of Mormon is my favorite book, because when I read it I know I am coming closer to my Heavenly Father. It really is an amazing thing and I am sad to stop spending time with it every morning.

I've learned a lot from my first year in seminary and I hope next year is as good. I've learned to never give up, trust Heaenly Father, and be patient because when you search ye shall find.

<3 Eliza

Faith is like a little seed

Image source

Faith is often compared to a little seed.

First a little story.

Once there was a girl named...uh, let's call her Grace. I've always liked the name Grace.  Grace is born into a faithful family with lots of older brothers and sisters who are wonderful examples. Her parents love her, and have raised her in the church. She has always been active, raises her hand in Sunday School, and has never dated anyone. 

On the outside, she is a perfect Mormon-mold. But even though her life looks pretty perfect on the outside, she has some troubles on the inside. Her older brother always makes fun of her for her being the only non-special person in their family. Her younger sister, whom she was so close with, died of cancer.  She has had some unpleasant friendships over the years, and maybe she has had a sip of coffee once or twice. But no matter what she is going through, what mistakes she has made, she knows that if she could keep her testimony strong, she would be able to get through everything with God's help. 

The problem is, she isn't even sure God exists. And the paradox of all the lessons in church come down to one thing: how can Grace expect God to answer her prayers when she doesn't even believe? How would she be able to recognize the Holy Ghost testifying to her if she doesn't know what it feels like? Why would she deserve to have a testimony anyway?

Satan has put doubts in her mind. No matter what Grace does, they don't seem to be going away. 

But wait! Didn't I just say faith is like a little seed?!

When you plant a seed, you don't actually know if it will sprout, if it is a good seed. You have to have that smallest bit of desire to have a tree, enough to say "ya know, I'll see if this seed, this little seed, is the one! Today I will find out if this tree will give me good fruit!"

Alma 32:21 "And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."

The problem is,  (scanning memory for my favorite fruit...) a peach doesn't grow in one day. You have to keep nourishing it, feeding it, just in case that slight possibility of THIS SEED being the RIGHT SEED is true. 

When we plant the seed of faith, or begin to try out what God says and see if it works, we are taking the first step.  

Alma 32:27 "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can NO MORE THAN DESIRE to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. "

Even if you feel like you have zero faith whatsoever, but you still want to believe (whether it be about Heavenly Father, or the church, or you are praying about the Book of Mormon, etc) follow that desire, try it out. By experiencing it for yourself you will find out if it is true. 

So if the missionaries told Grace to read the Book of Mormon, and then pray if it was true, and then they PROMISED her that the Holy Ghost would answer, then what should Grace do? Well, she still doesn't know if The Book of Mormon or Bible is true, so why should she listen to these people anyways? Well, if she tries it out, then she will be able to find out if it is true. If it is not true, no harm done. 

If, while she's reading, it tells her to ____________ (fill in the blank with follow the prophet, or honor parents, or love people) then she should try it out. She should act on it to see if it is true and good, if it makes her life better. 

As it grows and a person feels the Holy Ghost, the small seed of faith will grow a little. Finally, after a lot of work and in the Lord's time, she will be able to taste the fruit of the tree. She will have a full knowledge that these things are true. 

Now, know that these things take time. But take it from someone who has been through it, GOD WILL ANSWER. I know because I have tried it. I have planted this seed of faith in my heart and then studied and studied and prayed and worked and tried and finally was able to say "Yes. I have felt the Spirit testify to me that these things are true"

I know that Heavenly Father loves us and will answer our prayers. 

<3. Eliza

P.S. See some other awesome testimony posts here:

Marie-Rose at Hope Always and Pray Constantly

Whitney at The Life of a Mormon Teen

Whitney at  Sprinkles on My Icecream