Destination: Lexington, KY
Sites Visited: None, as far as I remember. There weren't any in the itinerary.
So I didn't take any pictures this day, I wrote nothing in my journal, and there wasn't anything in the itinerary. Today was a travel day. We spent the day reading the book of mormon, sharing spiritual experiences from the trip so far, and memorizing scriptures and such. It was a productive day! (That was not sarcasm.)
:)
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Day 12: Friday, June 17
Destination: Staunton, VA
Sites Visited: The Capitol, Washington DC sites, Washington DC Temple
HTM Quote: This nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail. I have faith in America; you and I must have faith in America, if we understand the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
~President Harold B. Lee
Today, like it says, we visited all the sites at Washington D.C. I'm going to be honest, i've never been a very patriotic person... But when we went to the cemetery and saw thousands of graves, I definitely felt patriotic. I had a lot of respect for those men who died. You could definitely feel the spirit there. It was a very... reverent place.
On this day I kind of learned to be more patriotic. I mean, i've always learned about all the wars and all the tragedies and all the things that have happened to our country. I know we are a strong country and that we've always pulled together and gotten ourselves to the top. I have respect for our country, and i'm very grateful to be living in it. But it's never really touched me deeply, and that hurts me to say...
But I feel more patriotic when I think about the quote at the top, about how the men who founded our country were guided and directed and raised by God. It brings the spirit and the gospel into the founding of America. In my mind, religion and the history we learn about in school were completely separate. I never thought to connect them... I never realized that God actually did plan out everything, and he did inspire those men to found this country and write the Declaration of Independence and all that. It's pretty incredible when you think about it... Everything was laid out perfectly. It's just amazing.
***********************************************************************************
I had a pretty cool experience today :) It was small, but not insignificant.
You know how people always tell stories about how they asked a question, and flipped open their scriptures to a random page and got an answer? That has NEVER happened to me!! (ok well it's happened once, but it was a vague question and any scripture I found probably would have answered it haha... So that doesn't count.)
Anyways, I tried it on this day. I asked God a specific question, making sure that i'd be able to find an answer. I asked sincerely, and I really tried hard to humble myself and accept whatever answer I got. As I flipped open to the first scripture, it didn't make sense, and I quickly got frustrated... But then I tried again... And again, and again. I got even more frustrated because none of these answers were making sense! And I was doing my best! I wrote down the scriptures and what they were about as I went... By the time I had opened to at least 5 scriptures, I felt like I hadn't gotten any answers. But then I looked back at all the scriptures, and realized they pieced together... Collectively, they made one perfect answer for me.
Moral of the story: Accept the answer God gives you, because he knows what he's doing. Even when you think you haven't found anything, look at the big picture and use your common sense to figure out what's right and what the answer is. Trust God, he will lead you in the right direction if you let him.
 |
| Washington D.C. Temple. It was absolutely stunning. |
 |
| There was a reflection pool, I thought this was a good shot :) |
 |
| Isn't that cool?? This temple was so beautiful!! |
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Day 11: Thursday, June 16
Destination: Falls Church, VA
Sites Visited: Susquehanna River, Arlington Cemetary
Today was one of my top 3 favorite days of the trip. We visited the Susquehanna River, where the priesthood was restored. I've always heard that phrase, over and over throughout my life, "the priesthood was restored to the earth." But i've never really taken in what it means. I didn't stop to realize, there was actually a time where the priesthood was not on the earth... Can you imagine?? That must be why they called it the Dark Ages. No priesthood on the earth... Wow. That just blows my mind. What a privilege we have to have the priesthood in our lives today. It's incredible to have men in our lives who have part of God's power in themselves. I just think it's incredible that we are so lucky to have been born in this generation.
We got out of the bus, and we walked a few minutes down a trail to the river. I walked by myself, because I didn't want to be distracted. I wanted to feel the spirit. Plus I couldn't find my friends haha.. But we all gathered in a group there by the river, and Brother E. talked to us for a while, and then had a few other people talk. He then gave time for about 10 testimonies. I spoke, 2 of my roommates spoke, and another friend of mine spoke. Those were the ones I remember the most.
Here's some of what I wrote in my journal, not word for word.
I didn't start crying until after I and 3 of my friends got up and bore their testimonies on the power of the priesthood. I talked about how thankful the girls are for the guys' worthiness to hold the priesthood. I know us girls don't always mention it or thank the guys for that, and for being worthy and good and stuff, but we are thinking it. We are so grateful to have that blessing, especially when it can be in our homes. We cannot hold the priesthood, but if we can receive blessings from it, it's just as meaningful.
I know we had all known someone who has lost the priesthood, due to various reasons. I could see the pain in peoples eyes when I said that. But because we have experienced loss, we appreciate what we have even more. I know I do for sure. I am SO grateful that my dad has stayed worthy to hold the priesthood. It has blessed my life in ways I cannot describe. I felt so blessed to be standing among 50 or so men that were all worthy to hold the priesthood. What a privilege.. and to hear their testimonies and see what they were feeling as well... It was incredible. I felt so blessed to be friends with these men. They are so strong and valiant and smart and know what's right and what's wrong. I pictured them all becoming husbands and fathers and blessing the lives of their future families. It made me cry. I may only know a few men who have lost the priesthood, and that has definitely left a hole in my heart, but the hole is slowly being filled, especially while at that site, because of all the strong young men I DID know who held it. I love every one of the boys I went on that trip with. I am so lucky to have been around so many priesthood holders. I felt safe with them. I felt happy.
It's incredible to hear all the stories people have about how the priesthood has blessed their life. Think of all the miracles... All the blessings people have received from it. It's literally endless. It happens every day...
We talked about how the priesthood will never leave the earth again. I LOVE that. It's so incredibly comforting... It's so reassuring. The priesthood is the strongest, most incredible power on the earth.
One of my friends I met got up and bore his testimony. His especially touched my heart... It was exactly what I was needing to hear that day. For a few days I had been feeling very... inadequate, very small, very... how do I put this... I don't know, unimportant is a little too strong a word. But you get the idea. But then this friend of mine got up and said something like, "Us guys, we look up to YOU girls. You help us stay worthy to hold the priesthood by being modest and virtuous. We are able to hold it because of you." He said more but I can't remember exactly what. All I remember is at that moment, I felt like I had a purpose. I felt important. I felt like I was needed. I felt like I had responsibility, because I do. Sometimes, the guys can't be strong on their own. They need virtuous, modest, clean women of this church to help them along, and help them to be worthy to hold the priesthood. It's the girls that do half the work. We are part of the priesthood. We may not hold it, but we help those who do. We strengthen the men, and that is a VERY important job.
The testimony he bore touched me so personally. I felt like it was meant just for me, and i'm sure many other girls felt that way. I think he made every girl cry at that moment, haha.. It was a very sweet moment. We all looked up to each other, and we all strengthened each other so much by that river. The spirit was indescribable.
I thought of this quote, as he talked about the importance of women. I think 'women' can be replaced with 'people' because it applies to anyone:
"Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; We need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity." ~Margaret D. Nadauld
When my friend was bearing his testimony, I totally lost it. I was crying so hard. Because I felt like I was finally getting a 'thank you' for all my hard work. All the times i've been laughed at or mocked or questioned for doing the right thing... it was finally paying off. Someone was thanking me. A GUY was thanking me, for being modest and true. And i'm sure many other girls were just as grateful for his words.
All in all, his words meant more to me than he'll ever know. He made me feel special and important, and after a few days of not feeling that way, it meant a lot.
Two of my roommates shared their testimonies as well, and they touched my heart. It's amazing when you realized how much people truly appreciate and love the priesthood. It truly has touched SO many peoples lives. You can't even count all the stories, like I mentioned earlier. I loved their testimonies. I don't remember all of what they said, but I will never forget the spirit they brought and the love they clearly have for the priesthood.
After the testimonies, they had us all gather closely, facing the river, and sing the Medley. As you can probably imagine, we all cried our eyes out. I have never been in a setting where the spirit was so strong. We sang, "We are as the army of Helaman, we have been taught in our youth, and we will be the Lord's missionaries to bring the world His truth. As sisters in Zion, a marked generation, as Children of God."
I cried so hard... We all made a promise, every time we sang it, that we'd do what we said we would. We'd bring the world his truth.
If you looked out at the river, you saw a mountain behind it just FULL of trees. We sang to the trees and the river... I picture Brother Joseph there. I sang to him. Brother E. told us that the men in our group alone will bring as many to the church as there are trees on this hill. He said the people would fill the river, that's how many there would be. I looked at those boys and saw angels for a moment. I saw them in their strongest, most valiant state of mind. They were angels.
I especially love listening to the boys as they sing their part of the song. It brings me an overwhelming sense of comfit, peace, and safety... I love those boys. I thanked my friend for what he said, but nothing I could have said would have shown him how I really felt.
When you step back and realize that these men are worthy to hold the priesthood, they immediately go from looking like crazy high-school graduates to mature young men.
It is incredible what the power of God can do to a person, inside and out.
Overall, I just wish I could explain to anyone reading this just how it felt, because words are inadequate. I wish you could feel what I felt that day... That feeling, the spirit there could convert anybody, I believe... It was absolutely incredible, I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world.
Sites Visited: Susquehanna River, Arlington Cemetary
Today was one of my top 3 favorite days of the trip. We visited the Susquehanna River, where the priesthood was restored. I've always heard that phrase, over and over throughout my life, "the priesthood was restored to the earth." But i've never really taken in what it means. I didn't stop to realize, there was actually a time where the priesthood was not on the earth... Can you imagine?? That must be why they called it the Dark Ages. No priesthood on the earth... Wow. That just blows my mind. What a privilege we have to have the priesthood in our lives today. It's incredible to have men in our lives who have part of God's power in themselves. I just think it's incredible that we are so lucky to have been born in this generation.
We got out of the bus, and we walked a few minutes down a trail to the river. I walked by myself, because I didn't want to be distracted. I wanted to feel the spirit. Plus I couldn't find my friends haha.. But we all gathered in a group there by the river, and Brother E. talked to us for a while, and then had a few other people talk. He then gave time for about 10 testimonies. I spoke, 2 of my roommates spoke, and another friend of mine spoke. Those were the ones I remember the most.
Here's some of what I wrote in my journal, not word for word.
I didn't start crying until after I and 3 of my friends got up and bore their testimonies on the power of the priesthood. I talked about how thankful the girls are for the guys' worthiness to hold the priesthood. I know us girls don't always mention it or thank the guys for that, and for being worthy and good and stuff, but we are thinking it. We are so grateful to have that blessing, especially when it can be in our homes. We cannot hold the priesthood, but if we can receive blessings from it, it's just as meaningful.
I know we had all known someone who has lost the priesthood, due to various reasons. I could see the pain in peoples eyes when I said that. But because we have experienced loss, we appreciate what we have even more. I know I do for sure. I am SO grateful that my dad has stayed worthy to hold the priesthood. It has blessed my life in ways I cannot describe. I felt so blessed to be standing among 50 or so men that were all worthy to hold the priesthood. What a privilege.. and to hear their testimonies and see what they were feeling as well... It was incredible. I felt so blessed to be friends with these men. They are so strong and valiant and smart and know what's right and what's wrong. I pictured them all becoming husbands and fathers and blessing the lives of their future families. It made me cry. I may only know a few men who have lost the priesthood, and that has definitely left a hole in my heart, but the hole is slowly being filled, especially while at that site, because of all the strong young men I DID know who held it. I love every one of the boys I went on that trip with. I am so lucky to have been around so many priesthood holders. I felt safe with them. I felt happy.
It's incredible to hear all the stories people have about how the priesthood has blessed their life. Think of all the miracles... All the blessings people have received from it. It's literally endless. It happens every day...
We talked about how the priesthood will never leave the earth again. I LOVE that. It's so incredibly comforting... It's so reassuring. The priesthood is the strongest, most incredible power on the earth.
One of my friends I met got up and bore his testimony. His especially touched my heart... It was exactly what I was needing to hear that day. For a few days I had been feeling very... inadequate, very small, very... how do I put this... I don't know, unimportant is a little too strong a word. But you get the idea. But then this friend of mine got up and said something like, "Us guys, we look up to YOU girls. You help us stay worthy to hold the priesthood by being modest and virtuous. We are able to hold it because of you." He said more but I can't remember exactly what. All I remember is at that moment, I felt like I had a purpose. I felt important. I felt like I was needed. I felt like I had responsibility, because I do. Sometimes, the guys can't be strong on their own. They need virtuous, modest, clean women of this church to help them along, and help them to be worthy to hold the priesthood. It's the girls that do half the work. We are part of the priesthood. We may not hold it, but we help those who do. We strengthen the men, and that is a VERY important job.
The testimony he bore touched me so personally. I felt like it was meant just for me, and i'm sure many other girls felt that way. I think he made every girl cry at that moment, haha.. It was a very sweet moment. We all looked up to each other, and we all strengthened each other so much by that river. The spirit was indescribable.
I thought of this quote, as he talked about the importance of women. I think 'women' can be replaced with 'people' because it applies to anyone:
"Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; We need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity." ~Margaret D. Nadauld
When my friend was bearing his testimony, I totally lost it. I was crying so hard. Because I felt like I was finally getting a 'thank you' for all my hard work. All the times i've been laughed at or mocked or questioned for doing the right thing... it was finally paying off. Someone was thanking me. A GUY was thanking me, for being modest and true. And i'm sure many other girls were just as grateful for his words.
All in all, his words meant more to me than he'll ever know. He made me feel special and important, and after a few days of not feeling that way, it meant a lot.
Two of my roommates shared their testimonies as well, and they touched my heart. It's amazing when you realized how much people truly appreciate and love the priesthood. It truly has touched SO many peoples lives. You can't even count all the stories, like I mentioned earlier. I loved their testimonies. I don't remember all of what they said, but I will never forget the spirit they brought and the love they clearly have for the priesthood.
After the testimonies, they had us all gather closely, facing the river, and sing the Medley. As you can probably imagine, we all cried our eyes out. I have never been in a setting where the spirit was so strong. We sang, "We are as the army of Helaman, we have been taught in our youth, and we will be the Lord's missionaries to bring the world His truth. As sisters in Zion, a marked generation, as Children of God."
I cried so hard... We all made a promise, every time we sang it, that we'd do what we said we would. We'd bring the world his truth.
If you looked out at the river, you saw a mountain behind it just FULL of trees. We sang to the trees and the river... I picture Brother Joseph there. I sang to him. Brother E. told us that the men in our group alone will bring as many to the church as there are trees on this hill. He said the people would fill the river, that's how many there would be. I looked at those boys and saw angels for a moment. I saw them in their strongest, most valiant state of mind. They were angels.
I especially love listening to the boys as they sing their part of the song. It brings me an overwhelming sense of comfit, peace, and safety... I love those boys. I thanked my friend for what he said, but nothing I could have said would have shown him how I really felt.
When you step back and realize that these men are worthy to hold the priesthood, they immediately go from looking like crazy high-school graduates to mature young men.
It is incredible what the power of God can do to a person, inside and out.
Overall, I just wish I could explain to anyone reading this just how it felt, because words are inadequate. I wish you could feel what I felt that day... That feeling, the spirit there could convert anybody, I believe... It was absolutely incredible, I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world.
 |
| We talked about how the trees were bowing to the river... It's such a sacred place. |
 |
| I wish I could give the full affect of how wide the river was and how many trees there were. |
 |
| Again, it's hard to get the whole vision of how big it was, and how many trees there were... I wish I could show all of you. |
Day 10: Wednesday, June 15
Destination: Scranton, PA
Sites Visited: None, we shopped in NYC today.
HTM Quote of the day: "One breaks the priesthood covenant by transgressing commandments--but also by leaving undone his duties. Accordingly, to break this covenant one needs only to do nothing."
~Spencer W. Kimball
All we did today was shop in NYC, so I have nothing to write about. It was pretty fun :)
Tomorrow is where the most amazing experience happened. Or one of them at least. ;)
Sites Visited: None, we shopped in NYC today.
HTM Quote of the day: "One breaks the priesthood covenant by transgressing commandments--but also by leaving undone his duties. Accordingly, to break this covenant one needs only to do nothing."
~Spencer W. Kimball
All we did today was shop in NYC, so I have nothing to write about. It was pretty fun :)
Tomorrow is where the most amazing experience happened. Or one of them at least. ;)
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Day 9: Tuesday, June 14
Destination: New York City, NY
Sites Visited: None, we experienced 'the world' today, in NYC.
Quote from HTM (Heritage Tours Manual):
"Conscience warns us not to sink our cleats too deeply into mortal turf - which is dangerously artificial!"
~Elder Neal A. Maxwell
So just like it says, today we went to NYC. It was.... Interesting.
Up to that point, I was on almost a constant spiritual high, other than the few times where the adversary was working against me, like I talked about before. We went to site after site, feeling the spirit so strong, and talking only about the church and how amazing it is... I was SO happy. Genuinely, truly, deeply happy. I was full of so much joy all the time... And then we go to NYC, and the mood of the trip went to the other end of the spectrum. It completely changed... My happiness was covered, it felt as if someone had snatched it away from me, and replaced it with that fake happiness that most of the world seems to be familiar with... Bottom line, I didn't like it. I hated the feeling I had while I was there...
Everyone seems to just love NY so much and talk about it like it's the greatest thing in the world, but I don't like it... I'm not into big cities. I admit it was fun to shop around and see the M&M's store and stuff, but just being there with SO many people and so many things going on felt wrong... I felt so... small. So unimportant. Like if I disappeared, nobody would notice, and nobody would care. I hated the feeling I had when I was there.
When we stepped back on that bus and went to a church site or bore our testimonies, we had the best feeling... I went from low to high in an instant... I felt safe, I felt comforted, I felt protected, but not in a little kid sort of way. It was amazing, the spirit we created on that bus every day... Nothing could stop us from bringing the spirit.
Nothing on this earth is stronger than the gospel of Jesus Christ.
***********************************************************************************
From my journal:
"We just sang 'Oh Happy Day' and it was awesome! I thought to myself, WHY is it a happy day? I instantly thought of Joseph Smith. He is the reason we live in happy days. he restored the true gospel to this earth and brought so much joy to our lives! Oh happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away! Oh happy day when the gospel is in our lives and brings us pure happiness!"
You know, people all over the world are constantly debating religion and arguing about it and some religions worship Christ's death and all that... You know why I love this church? Because it's simple. It brings happiness. Oh happy day, when Jesus died for me and was resurrected and washed away my sins so I may live with him again. What could be more humbling than that? What reason do we have to not be happy? Everyone deserves to be happy. If everyone would just stop arguing and debating and thinking so hard about it all, they would see the plainness and simplicity of the gospel. Be a good person, serve others, and try to be Christlike, and you will find pure happiness, guaranteed. That's it.
It makes me so happy! I wish we'd sing songs like that in our church, haha, because even though it's loud, it brings the spirit. At least it does to me, haha.
I don't know, i'm just kind of rambling, I do that a lot if you haven't noticed :3 So sorry if this last whole section didn't make any sense to anyone, haha. This blog is kind of my own journal anyway, it's just a bonus if other people read it.
Oh happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away!
Sites Visited: None, we experienced 'the world' today, in NYC.
Quote from HTM (Heritage Tours Manual):
"Conscience warns us not to sink our cleats too deeply into mortal turf - which is dangerously artificial!"
~Elder Neal A. Maxwell
So just like it says, today we went to NYC. It was.... Interesting.
Up to that point, I was on almost a constant spiritual high, other than the few times where the adversary was working against me, like I talked about before. We went to site after site, feeling the spirit so strong, and talking only about the church and how amazing it is... I was SO happy. Genuinely, truly, deeply happy. I was full of so much joy all the time... And then we go to NYC, and the mood of the trip went to the other end of the spectrum. It completely changed... My happiness was covered, it felt as if someone had snatched it away from me, and replaced it with that fake happiness that most of the world seems to be familiar with... Bottom line, I didn't like it. I hated the feeling I had while I was there...
Everyone seems to just love NY so much and talk about it like it's the greatest thing in the world, but I don't like it... I'm not into big cities. I admit it was fun to shop around and see the M&M's store and stuff, but just being there with SO many people and so many things going on felt wrong... I felt so... small. So unimportant. Like if I disappeared, nobody would notice, and nobody would care. I hated the feeling I had when I was there.
When we stepped back on that bus and went to a church site or bore our testimonies, we had the best feeling... I went from low to high in an instant... I felt safe, I felt comforted, I felt protected, but not in a little kid sort of way. It was amazing, the spirit we created on that bus every day... Nothing could stop us from bringing the spirit.
Nothing on this earth is stronger than the gospel of Jesus Christ.
***********************************************************************************
From my journal:
"We just sang 'Oh Happy Day' and it was awesome! I thought to myself, WHY is it a happy day? I instantly thought of Joseph Smith. He is the reason we live in happy days. he restored the true gospel to this earth and brought so much joy to our lives! Oh happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away! Oh happy day when the gospel is in our lives and brings us pure happiness!"
You know, people all over the world are constantly debating religion and arguing about it and some religions worship Christ's death and all that... You know why I love this church? Because it's simple. It brings happiness. Oh happy day, when Jesus died for me and was resurrected and washed away my sins so I may live with him again. What could be more humbling than that? What reason do we have to not be happy? Everyone deserves to be happy. If everyone would just stop arguing and debating and thinking so hard about it all, they would see the plainness and simplicity of the gospel. Be a good person, serve others, and try to be Christlike, and you will find pure happiness, guaranteed. That's it.
It makes me so happy! I wish we'd sing songs like that in our church, haha, because even though it's loud, it brings the spirit. At least it does to me, haha.
I don't know, i'm just kind of rambling, I do that a lot if you haven't noticed :3 So sorry if this last whole section didn't make any sense to anyone, haha. This blog is kind of my own journal anyway, it's just a bonus if other people read it.
Oh happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Day 8: Monday, June 13
Destination: Sharon, VT
Sites Visited: Joseph Smith's Birth Place
Today I had a different experience than you're probably expecting... I mean, I don't know what you're expecting to hear me say about Joseph's Birth place. I guess you're hoping it's something about how my testimony of him was strengthened and how much I care about him and such, but something else was on my mind that day as we visited the site and talked about him...
A few things i'll write about for today:
-A quote by a kid in our group
-The kind of man I want to marry
-A letter to Joseph Smith
Alright, the quote, to start off. A kid in my group when bearing his testimony said something like, "Never has a generation fallen so hard. When we fall, we fall hard. But never has a generation come back so well. We pick ourselves up and move higher than the rest. We are strong and pure..." (Sorry if that's wrong, but that's as close as I remember... Forgive me!)
I thought that was very profound... It's so true. Our generation is the strongest... But we can also be the most beaten upon. Satan works hardest on God's strongest soldiers. Our generation has been saved for thousands of years to come to the earth at this time... We were saved for this time because God trusts us to make the world a better place, and add light to the darkness. We were sent to change the dark to the light... It's our duty, our job, our purpose.
We are strong. We are courageous... Sometimes we fall, but we are able to get back up. It's our duty to get back up and stand for what is right and true. We were chosen for this... God is putting this in our hands. He trusts us. Let's be strong. Let's stand up for the righteous things in this world... Let's stand together, as the army of Helaman. Just like the song... Just like the medley... We can do this. "You cannot fail if you choose to follow the Savior." ~Thomas S. Monson. We cannot fail with the Lord on our side. Good ALWAYS defeats evil. Always.
************************************************************************************
As we learned about Joseph Smith more and more, I kept thinking about the kind of man I want to marry... I am so amazed by Joseph and the man he was. I loved the way he treated Emma... He was so sweet to her. I want to marry a man like that. And then I realized, all the guys I went on this tour with are just as amazing! I gained so much respect for them. I want a guy who has decided on his own to be converted and decided on his own that he wants to serve a mission and share the gospel.
I wrote a lot more about the kind of guy I want, but that's more personal so I'll keep it in my journal...
I know if I work very hard to be the best person I can be in God's eyes, i'll hopefully deserve a man like Joseph. Or at least I hope to be that worthy for a man like that. :)
It also reminded me of this quote:
"A Book of Mormon that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't."
I want a guy with scriptures like that... Marked to death, like mine... Mine are falling apart haha...
************************************************************************************
In our manual, we were asked to write a letter to Joseph Smith. This is mine:
Dear Joseph,
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of you is all that you willingly sacrificed for the church... I wish I could thank you an endless number of times. I want to thank you, personally, for the influence you've had on MY life. Without you, I would have NOTHING. Literally. I would be a really bad person... I wouldn't have the strength to follow any sort of standard or law. I would not have any desire for any foundation in my life... I would not have any inspiration or motivation to be a good person. Because of you, I am strong, I am willing to sacrifice things for the gospel like you did, and I want to be a little better every day. Because of you, billions of people have better lives... Because of you... Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Your lovely wife Emma has inspired me personally, as a woman. Please let her know that she is my ultimate example. I am probably going to name one of my daughters after her... Send her my love and my thanks for all she endured.
Love always,
Marci
Sites Visited: Joseph Smith's Birth Place
Today I had a different experience than you're probably expecting... I mean, I don't know what you're expecting to hear me say about Joseph's Birth place. I guess you're hoping it's something about how my testimony of him was strengthened and how much I care about him and such, but something else was on my mind that day as we visited the site and talked about him...
A few things i'll write about for today:
-A quote by a kid in our group
-The kind of man I want to marry
-A letter to Joseph Smith
Alright, the quote, to start off. A kid in my group when bearing his testimony said something like, "Never has a generation fallen so hard. When we fall, we fall hard. But never has a generation come back so well. We pick ourselves up and move higher than the rest. We are strong and pure..." (Sorry if that's wrong, but that's as close as I remember... Forgive me!)
I thought that was very profound... It's so true. Our generation is the strongest... But we can also be the most beaten upon. Satan works hardest on God's strongest soldiers. Our generation has been saved for thousands of years to come to the earth at this time... We were saved for this time because God trusts us to make the world a better place, and add light to the darkness. We were sent to change the dark to the light... It's our duty, our job, our purpose.
We are strong. We are courageous... Sometimes we fall, but we are able to get back up. It's our duty to get back up and stand for what is right and true. We were chosen for this... God is putting this in our hands. He trusts us. Let's be strong. Let's stand up for the righteous things in this world... Let's stand together, as the army of Helaman. Just like the song... Just like the medley... We can do this. "You cannot fail if you choose to follow the Savior." ~Thomas S. Monson. We cannot fail with the Lord on our side. Good ALWAYS defeats evil. Always.
************************************************************************************
As we learned about Joseph Smith more and more, I kept thinking about the kind of man I want to marry... I am so amazed by Joseph and the man he was. I loved the way he treated Emma... He was so sweet to her. I want to marry a man like that. And then I realized, all the guys I went on this tour with are just as amazing! I gained so much respect for them. I want a guy who has decided on his own to be converted and decided on his own that he wants to serve a mission and share the gospel.
I wrote a lot more about the kind of guy I want, but that's more personal so I'll keep it in my journal...
I know if I work very hard to be the best person I can be in God's eyes, i'll hopefully deserve a man like Joseph. Or at least I hope to be that worthy for a man like that. :)
It also reminded me of this quote:
"A Book of Mormon that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't."
I want a guy with scriptures like that... Marked to death, like mine... Mine are falling apart haha...
************************************************************************************
In our manual, we were asked to write a letter to Joseph Smith. This is mine:
Dear Joseph,
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of you is all that you willingly sacrificed for the church... I wish I could thank you an endless number of times. I want to thank you, personally, for the influence you've had on MY life. Without you, I would have NOTHING. Literally. I would be a really bad person... I wouldn't have the strength to follow any sort of standard or law. I would not have any desire for any foundation in my life... I would not have any inspiration or motivation to be a good person. Because of you, I am strong, I am willing to sacrifice things for the gospel like you did, and I want to be a little better every day. Because of you, billions of people have better lives... Because of you... Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Your lovely wife Emma has inspired me personally, as a woman. Please let her know that she is my ultimate example. I am probably going to name one of my daughters after her... Send her my love and my thanks for all she endured.
Love always,
Marci
 |
| This a monument built for Joseph Smith where he was born. I don't remember how old Joseph was when he died, but that's how many feet tall it is. And it's always pointing towards God, just like Joseph :) I thought that was cool. |
 |
| Cool picture I took of it :3 |
 |
| Close up... |
 |
| The house wasn't actually there, so this is a mini replica. |
 |
| I thought it was cute! It was so small ^_^ |
 |
| The only thing left of the house was this front door step. |
 |
| Plaque on the doorstep... |
 |
| This was... somewhere on the property... Don't remember where. |
 |
| This was a painting in the Visitor Center, I thought it was sweet :) Emma and Joseph |
 |
| Another sweet painting :) |
 |
| This made me cry.... If I counted right, they had 5 children die as infants. That's so terrible... |
 |
| I thought this was sweet :) |
 |
| This was also in the Visitor's Center, I thought it was cool so I thought i'd throw it in here :) |
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Day 7: Sunday, June 12
Destination: Palmyra, NY
Sites Visited Today: Sacred Grove, Joseph Smith's Home, Hill Cumorah
Quote in HTM: "The First Vision is the very foundation of this church, and it is my conviction that each member of this church performs his duty in direct ratio to his personal testimony and faith in the first vision." ~Robert L. Simpson
Ah the Sacred Grove, I have been waiting to share my experience from this site...
I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to sing for everyone before we entered the grove. We had a small meeting before we went in, to bring the spirit. I had prepared 5 or so songs before the trip, and one of them went along with this perfectly, so Brother E. let me sing it. It's called 'He Hears Me' by Hilary Weeks. Here are the lyrics:
Here I am again, down on my knees
And with every pleading word, Thy comfort I seek
Though the words are slow to come,
My thoughts are racing by
Peace fills the room, Thy spirit is nigh
He hears me
When I'm crying in the night
He hears me
When my soul longs to fight
Till the morning will come
And the light of the dawn reassures...
He hears me
Any hour, wherever I may be
In the silence of an empty room, or on a crowded street
Whether offering thanks, or in urgency I pray
I never go unnoticed, I'm never led astray
(chorus)
Any whisper of the soul
No matter how old
Father hears the call
He hears me
When I'm crying in the night
He hears me
When my soul longs to fight
Till the morning will come
And the light of the dawn reassures...
He hears me
I thought the lyrics were appropriate, because it talks about how he hears our prayers, and he heard Joseph's prayer. I think I did alright, and people told me it brought the spirit, so I was very happy to be able to do that :)
After that, we were sent into the Grove, to think and ponder for about an hour.
I didn't take any pictures in the Sacred Grove, even though they said it was fine, and mostly everyone did. I just didn't feel right doing that, because they told us it was an Outside Temple. It definitely felt like a temple...
It had just rained, so everything was very wet... I was going to find a spot on the ground to sit on, but I was wearing a white skirt, so you can see how that wouldn't really work out, haha. They had benches every so often on the trails, but of course they were all filled, there being 100 kids on this tour. So I sat by a friend for a while, and she left to walk around, so I had it to myself.
So far i've been going into detail or paraphrasing what i've written in my journal, because it was either a lot or not enough detail... But I think for this experience, i'm going to quote from my journal word for word... Because what I learned and realized and felt there was so incredible to me. I realized my worth... I felt the full and complete meaning of "The worth of souls is great in the sight of God." I felt the full meaning of the fact that I am a daughter of God...
Here is what I wrote in my journal:
"I have just read my patriarchal blessing. I know I am a daughter of God. He literally does know ME, very VERY personally... Better than I even know myself.
I am his soldier. His instrument. I personally was put on this earth to bless the lives of others and serve them. He really needs me in his plan... He needs me to be confident and strong for others... That's my job. He gave me the trial of struggling with confidence so that I may overcome it and be stronger and help others do the same.
I must, I WILL stay true to this gospel and this truth or the remainder of eternity. I will not falter from it. I will not fail to stay close to this church. I will not.
(here comes the best part, this is the most confident i've ever felt, haha..)
I... I am a beautiful, blessed, talented, virtuous, lovely daughter of God. I stand as an example to all women out there. I must stay clean and righteous in order to fulfill all i'm supposed to do. I must work to improve myself constantly.
I must find a worthy, strong, happy, independent son of God as my eternal companion. He will be independently strong in the church. H will be lean and kind and sweet and loving and thoughtful. H will fulfill everything on my list (hopefully).
He will be compatible with me and bring me joy.
He will be a constant worthy holder of the priesthood. He will be an amazing father and husband. He will never speak to me in a rude, unforgiving, shallow tone. He will work with me to fix problems in a calm and kind way. He will treat me like the daughter of God that I am. I am a princess, a daughter of GOD. He will know that all the time, and treat me as so. I will try my best to treat him as a worthy son of God should be treated.
This grove... These woods... It truly is an outdoor temple. God protects this place... He watches over it... His spirit is always here. It never left, since the day Joseph prayed here.
(Then I wrote this kind of... poem..? It's more of me rambling on about angels... I usually write poems in this format, and they are usually MUCH better than this one (http://mouse1414.blogspot.com/), but I guess it doesn't really matter. Here it is):
"Father, send me an angel
to guide and watch over me
father, I need an angel
to remind me of my worth
my importance
my purpose in this world.
I know you're there
I know you'll send one...
for you never let me down.
I need an angel
to help me know
that I am beautiful,
confident..
happy.
Send me an angel
with a beautiful smile
that could light up
the darkest room.
Send me an angel
with a sweet, soft voice
that could calm
a storm...
that could calm
a child...
Father,
send me an angel
that will inspire me
and lift me up
so that I may do the same for others.
Father
I need an angel
to help me along
for I can not always
make it alone
Send me an angel to be
my example
Because sometimes
I need a little reminder
of how to be an example to others.
Sometimes I forget
that I was sent here
as a soldier of God
as a mother and daughter
of Zion.
Father
send me an angel
to guide me home
and comfort me
when faint and weary
I need an angel
to make me stronger.
Father...
I am an angel
aren't I?
I have comforted those
in need.
I have helped others back home
I have made some of your children strong
Father,
I hope you are proud.
I hope I can be
one of your strongest angels
to lead others
back to you."
I want to find someone who'll be my angel... I am an angel sometimes... but I need an angel to guide me and give me confidence. Physically, I mean... I know Christ is my angel, Savior, and redeemer. But I want someone on earth with me, physically, to help me along the way.
I am destined to be someones angel."
**************************************************************************************
After the Sacred Grove and Joseph Smith's Homes, we went and paid a visit to Alvin Smith's Grave. He was the oldest of the Smith children, and Joseph's idol. So as you can imagine, it was very hard on Joseph when he died. It was really emotional, because I pictures one of my brothers dying, and I started to cry... My brother who is a senior this year is a great example to me, and he's one of my best friends, so I can't imagine losing him...
**************************************************************************************
We sing 3 songs every day, and parts of the lyrics really hit me strong.... This is what I thought of today as we sang:
"I really like the lyrics to 2 of the songs we sing every day, '...And remembering those who were trying, and living and dying to guide us on home..' 'And how far did they go driven by visions of what I would be?'
Our ancestors, Joseph Smith, and all those who helped organize the church and were a part of it in the beginning, prepared for us. they improved and strengthened themselves so that WE could have the church and be strong.
Now we need to do the same for our children, not born yet. We need to prepare ourselves and the church for them and be strong. We need to be the best people we can be, because who we are not only affects us, but everyone we interact with. Others are benefited by our good actions. Our children are above watching us learn and grow. We need to be strong for THEM. 'Remember the children who look to you to keep tomorrow free.'
**************************************************************************************
Then we had a sharing time in the hotel, where we could share our experiences of today's activities. These are just some notes I jotted down in my notebook so I wouldn't forget what to say when I got up to the front...
"In the sacred grove, I had the opportunity to read my patriarchal blessing. It felt like God spoke to me like he did with Joseph. He told me what my purpose was... He told me why I was here. He told me how important I was in his plan...
I may not always have the cutest clothes, or all the time in the world to get ready in the morning... I may not always have the best self confidence... But I will always have the knowledge that I am a daughter of God. I will always have the peace and comfort of the gospel in my life, and I will ALWAYS have the Savior by my side to lift me up.
**************************************************************************************
This post, this day was the first of my 4 favorite spiritual experiences on this trip. I hope it has strengthened your testimony, even a little :) Or I at least hope it made you smile. I hope you felt some of the spirit I felt during these experiences. :)
Sites Visited Today: Sacred Grove, Joseph Smith's Home, Hill Cumorah
Quote in HTM: "The First Vision is the very foundation of this church, and it is my conviction that each member of this church performs his duty in direct ratio to his personal testimony and faith in the first vision." ~Robert L. Simpson
Ah the Sacred Grove, I have been waiting to share my experience from this site...
I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to sing for everyone before we entered the grove. We had a small meeting before we went in, to bring the spirit. I had prepared 5 or so songs before the trip, and one of them went along with this perfectly, so Brother E. let me sing it. It's called 'He Hears Me' by Hilary Weeks. Here are the lyrics:
Here I am again, down on my knees
And with every pleading word, Thy comfort I seek
Though the words are slow to come,
My thoughts are racing by
Peace fills the room, Thy spirit is nigh
He hears me
When I'm crying in the night
He hears me
When my soul longs to fight
Till the morning will come
And the light of the dawn reassures...
He hears me
Any hour, wherever I may be
In the silence of an empty room, or on a crowded street
Whether offering thanks, or in urgency I pray
I never go unnoticed, I'm never led astray
(chorus)
Any whisper of the soul
No matter how old
Father hears the call
He hears me
When I'm crying in the night
He hears me
When my soul longs to fight
Till the morning will come
And the light of the dawn reassures...
He hears me
I thought the lyrics were appropriate, because it talks about how he hears our prayers, and he heard Joseph's prayer. I think I did alright, and people told me it brought the spirit, so I was very happy to be able to do that :)
After that, we were sent into the Grove, to think and ponder for about an hour.
I didn't take any pictures in the Sacred Grove, even though they said it was fine, and mostly everyone did. I just didn't feel right doing that, because they told us it was an Outside Temple. It definitely felt like a temple...
It had just rained, so everything was very wet... I was going to find a spot on the ground to sit on, but I was wearing a white skirt, so you can see how that wouldn't really work out, haha. They had benches every so often on the trails, but of course they were all filled, there being 100 kids on this tour. So I sat by a friend for a while, and she left to walk around, so I had it to myself.
So far i've been going into detail or paraphrasing what i've written in my journal, because it was either a lot or not enough detail... But I think for this experience, i'm going to quote from my journal word for word... Because what I learned and realized and felt there was so incredible to me. I realized my worth... I felt the full and complete meaning of "The worth of souls is great in the sight of God." I felt the full meaning of the fact that I am a daughter of God...
Here is what I wrote in my journal:
"I have just read my patriarchal blessing. I know I am a daughter of God. He literally does know ME, very VERY personally... Better than I even know myself.
I am his soldier. His instrument. I personally was put on this earth to bless the lives of others and serve them. He really needs me in his plan... He needs me to be confident and strong for others... That's my job. He gave me the trial of struggling with confidence so that I may overcome it and be stronger and help others do the same.
I must, I WILL stay true to this gospel and this truth or the remainder of eternity. I will not falter from it. I will not fail to stay close to this church. I will not.
(here comes the best part, this is the most confident i've ever felt, haha..)
I... I am a beautiful, blessed, talented, virtuous, lovely daughter of God. I stand as an example to all women out there. I must stay clean and righteous in order to fulfill all i'm supposed to do. I must work to improve myself constantly.
I must find a worthy, strong, happy, independent son of God as my eternal companion. He will be independently strong in the church. H will be lean and kind and sweet and loving and thoughtful. H will fulfill everything on my list (hopefully).
He will be compatible with me and bring me joy.
He will be a constant worthy holder of the priesthood. He will be an amazing father and husband. He will never speak to me in a rude, unforgiving, shallow tone. He will work with me to fix problems in a calm and kind way. He will treat me like the daughter of God that I am. I am a princess, a daughter of GOD. He will know that all the time, and treat me as so. I will try my best to treat him as a worthy son of God should be treated.
This grove... These woods... It truly is an outdoor temple. God protects this place... He watches over it... His spirit is always here. It never left, since the day Joseph prayed here.
(Then I wrote this kind of... poem..? It's more of me rambling on about angels... I usually write poems in this format, and they are usually MUCH better than this one (http://mouse1414.blogspot.com/), but I guess it doesn't really matter. Here it is):
"Father, send me an angel
to guide and watch over me
father, I need an angel
to remind me of my worth
my importance
my purpose in this world.
I know you're there
I know you'll send one...
for you never let me down.
I need an angel
to help me know
that I am beautiful,
confident..
happy.
Send me an angel
with a beautiful smile
that could light up
the darkest room.
Send me an angel
with a sweet, soft voice
that could calm
a storm...
that could calm
a child...
Father,
send me an angel
that will inspire me
and lift me up
so that I may do the same for others.
Father
I need an angel
to help me along
for I can not always
make it alone
Send me an angel to be
my example
Because sometimes
I need a little reminder
of how to be an example to others.
Sometimes I forget
that I was sent here
as a soldier of God
as a mother and daughter
of Zion.
Father
send me an angel
to guide me home
and comfort me
when faint and weary
I need an angel
to make me stronger.
Father...
I am an angel
aren't I?
I have comforted those
in need.
I have helped others back home
I have made some of your children strong
Father,
I hope you are proud.
I hope I can be
one of your strongest angels
to lead others
back to you."
I want to find someone who'll be my angel... I am an angel sometimes... but I need an angel to guide me and give me confidence. Physically, I mean... I know Christ is my angel, Savior, and redeemer. But I want someone on earth with me, physically, to help me along the way.
I am destined to be someones angel."
**************************************************************************************
After the Sacred Grove and Joseph Smith's Homes, we went and paid a visit to Alvin Smith's Grave. He was the oldest of the Smith children, and Joseph's idol. So as you can imagine, it was very hard on Joseph when he died. It was really emotional, because I pictures one of my brothers dying, and I started to cry... My brother who is a senior this year is a great example to me, and he's one of my best friends, so I can't imagine losing him...
**************************************************************************************
We sing 3 songs every day, and parts of the lyrics really hit me strong.... This is what I thought of today as we sang:
"I really like the lyrics to 2 of the songs we sing every day, '...And remembering those who were trying, and living and dying to guide us on home..' 'And how far did they go driven by visions of what I would be?'
Our ancestors, Joseph Smith, and all those who helped organize the church and were a part of it in the beginning, prepared for us. they improved and strengthened themselves so that WE could have the church and be strong.
Now we need to do the same for our children, not born yet. We need to prepare ourselves and the church for them and be strong. We need to be the best people we can be, because who we are not only affects us, but everyone we interact with. Others are benefited by our good actions. Our children are above watching us learn and grow. We need to be strong for THEM. 'Remember the children who look to you to keep tomorrow free.'
**************************************************************************************
Then we had a sharing time in the hotel, where we could share our experiences of today's activities. These are just some notes I jotted down in my notebook so I wouldn't forget what to say when I got up to the front...
"In the sacred grove, I had the opportunity to read my patriarchal blessing. It felt like God spoke to me like he did with Joseph. He told me what my purpose was... He told me why I was here. He told me how important I was in his plan...
I may not always have the cutest clothes, or all the time in the world to get ready in the morning... I may not always have the best self confidence... But I will always have the knowledge that I am a daughter of God. I will always have the peace and comfort of the gospel in my life, and I will ALWAYS have the Savior by my side to lift me up.
**************************************************************************************
This post, this day was the first of my 4 favorite spiritual experiences on this trip. I hope it has strengthened your testimony, even a little :) Or I at least hope it made you smile. I hope you felt some of the spirit I felt during these experiences. :)
 |
| This is one of the houses Joseph Smith lived in. The Sacred Grove is in the background :) |
 |
| Alvin (Joseph's oldest brother) built this house, but died before he could finish it. Read it about it below :) |
 |
| This tree was planted by the Smith boys! It's amazing! Joseph Smith himself touched this tree. |
 |
| Here's Alvin's grave. This is a re-done grave, the original was mounted on the back. See picture of original below. :) |
 |
| Here's a thing talkin about Hill Cumorah. It talks about it better than I would have haha... |
 |
| This was on top of Hill Cumorah. |
 |
| Hill Cumorah! (Looking down on it from the top.) Trust me, it's way bigger and steeper than it looks! |
 |
| Here's the Hill Cumorah Monument/Statue from a different point of view. |
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