I have nothing left to give,
I have found the perfect end,
You remain to make it hurt,
Dissapear into the dirt,
Carry me to heavens arms,
Light the way and let me go,
Take the time to take my breath,
I will end where I begin,
And I will find the enemy within,
Cause I can feel it crawl beneath my skin,
Dear agony
Just let go of me
Suffer slowly
Is this the way it's gotta be?
Dear agony
Suddenly the lights go out,
Let forever drag me down,
I will fight for one last breath,
I will fight until the end,
And I will find the enemy within,
Cause I can feel it crawl beneath my skin,
Dear agony
Just let go of me
Suffer slowly
Is this the way it's gotta be?
Don't bury me
Faceless enemy
I'm so sorry
Is this the way it's gotta be?
Dear agony
Leave me all alone
God let me know
I'm blue and cold
Black sky will burn
Love tore me down
Hate lift me up
Just turn around
There's nothing left
Somewhere far beyond this world
I feel nothing anymore
Dear agony
Just let go of me
Suffer slowly
Is this the way it's gotta be?
Don't bury me
Faceless enemy
I'm so sorry
Is this the way it's gotta be?
Dear agony
I feel nothing anymore
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/breaking_benjamin/dear_agony.html ]
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Guitar
So lately been into the sexiness that is Spanish guitar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J46eGwqzrxk&feature=channel_video_title
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-5F3xN0kXo&feature=channel_video_title
I love both of these
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J46eGwqzrxk&feature=channel_video_title
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-5F3xN0kXo&feature=channel_video_title
I love both of these
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Ponderings
http://www.youtube.com/user/randomcommunications?feature=mhee#p/f/3/C9haTFoGcvk
This is simply wonderful music.
Lately I have had many things to ponder. Am I too serious? What is love? I've met a man. Who makes me smile and brings my attention to parts of myself that have been long untouched. He shows me the world in a different way. Shows me everything in a different way. Problem.
We have absolutely no chance of a future together.
Well
we do
but its not a happy ending.
Not for anyone.
What am I to do?
This is simply wonderful music.
Lately I have had many things to ponder. Am I too serious? What is love? I've met a man. Who makes me smile and brings my attention to parts of myself that have been long untouched. He shows me the world in a different way. Shows me everything in a different way. Problem.
We have absolutely no chance of a future together.
Well
we do
but its not a happy ending.
Not for anyone.
What am I to do?
Monday, August 1, 2011
The Bread God
Lawls so Kat and I like came up with Idea over SKype at like 1AM
We were joking Hey lets make a story about bread... The Mighty Pound Cake, God of all Breads
SOOoo It evolved into this obscure little work :P
Enjoy!!!
Anna and Henry Lesniski were a jolly middle aged couple, who owned the quaint little bakery on Avon Street. People of all varieties walked by the colorful windows, that adorned the shop. Most of the time people would pass by with a curious glint, the same wanting looking as they gaze at the enticing display pasties. Usually people take a look, admire, and pass on by. But occasionally a customer comes wandering in. Often it’s an eager child pulling their mother in. Like this one child one who has been trying to persuade his mother to buy him a cupcake for the past ten minutes. Those blasted cupcakes, with their swirly frosting and vibrant colors, filling the souls of men with gluttony. The reluctant mother eventually gave way to her persistent child. Anna with a sweet smile reached into the display case. Her dainty hands caressing the chosen yellow frosted cupcake. She carefully and lovingly removed it place, being sure not to harm but a mere sprinkle. The child waited impatiently tapping from one foot to the other and swinging back and forth, awaiting his prize. Look at this it’s disgusting! Every greedy child who meanders into this shop begs for a cupcake. While I, Sourdough, have to sit in the reduced section with Rye bread.
“Hey man,” says Rye as swaggers back and forth “You have to try this stuff,”
“No,” I stated blatantly.
“But,” Rye persisted “it’s so good,”
A holler came from the other side of the cabinet “Yo, Rye Bread, no one gives a hoot about your crappy spices,”
“Hoot?” said a curious voice, clearly unimpressed with his poor vocabulary.
That was White Bread, she is surprisingly never impressed by the breads that we are supposed to slum within the reduced section. I used to be a part of the premiere breads, you know the breads that sit on display under pretty lights and are admired by all the lesser breads. Like Pumpernickel. I always know he is coming, because I can smell that whack-job from a mile away. He was on the other side of the display case but upon noticing me he conspicuously scooted over to my side and sat right next to me. I was greeted by his obscure, creepy giggle, that irks me to no end.
“H-hi,” he stuttered.
This is not happening to me. This is only a nightmare, a really bad one.
“You’re Sourdough right?”
“No, I am Wheat Bread,”
“What really?” he exclaimed, very shocked. He glanced around nervously over to the actual Wheat Bread “What?” he shook his head “There’s two of you?” he started fidget nervously “W-what? How did I not know?” he started rock back and forth “Wheat Bread!” he yelled “I am sorry for my impudence!” he wailed “I am unworthy!”
This cannot be happening to me. “Pumpernickel, I was kidding?” He stopped abruptly “You know my name?”
“Pumpernickel!” White Bread’s voice rang in the reduced section “What are you doing?” she snapped “You are disturbing the peace,”
Wheat Bread smirked “I like me an aggressive lady,”
To which White Bread merely rolled her eyes and sighed exasperated.
Pumpernickel piped up “I didn’t know there were two Wheat Breads,”
White Bread moaned “He, was kidding you idiot,” she indicated towards me “That’s Sourdough, note how he’s a different color,”
Pumpernickel awed “You are so smart White Bread,” he sighed “I wish I could be smart like you,”
“Yes, I’m genius, be quite,”
Pumpernickel was silent for rest of the day aside from a nervous laugh now and again. I watched other pastries being bought. A jelly stuffed donut with powder on top, for a large lady, and she wonders why she is so. A fancy éclair for this posh lawyer, he took it with delicacy and devoured it like an animal. Slurping out the cream first, looks like money isn’t the only thing he sucks, and then wolfing down the rest of the sweet. Then a very young and energetic woman walked in and bought a cake for her boss. I wonder what that is for, promotion perhaps. No one came in for the rest of the night. Anna and Henry bustled about to clean up shop, while Matt’s fast fingers clicked away at a cell phone.
“Matt, get off the phone,” said Anna from the back room.
“Why?” he asked annoyed.
“Because you should be mopping dear,”
Henry’s booming voice came from the oven room “Besides if you text any faster you’ll lose your fingers,”
Matt groaned and shoved his phone into back pocket. He then grabbed the mop mumbling obscenities to himself.
The baker and his family left a few minutes later and all was quiet for good while. That was until, the bass from the premiere’s bread box started to rattle the whole counter. Wheat Bread and Pumpernickel has their faces pressed against the glass to get a good look.
Wheat Bread cheered “Hey yall look!” He pointed “Its’ that foxy lady Banana Nut Bread,”
Pumpernickel let out a gasp before keeling over. Wheat Bread remained firm to his position, careful not to miss a single glimpse of the glorious Banana Nut Bread.
I remember those days, I remember those parties, I remember when I used throw those parties; I remember when Banana Nut Bread used to be my woman. Those were my glory days, Banana Nut by my side, the Lesser Breads gazing in awe. I used to be God, The God of all Breads. That until Pound Cake came, hot and steamy, fresh from the oven. I do not enjoy being replaced. I was usurped and my woman torn from me. I was permitted to stay with the Premiere Breads for a little while. That was until, Gingerbread, squealed on me. I can still recall his nervous and jittery voice.
“Youre not going stale are you?” he asked “Because if you’re going stale then you have to go. Those are rules. You have to follow them. That’s why they make rules. You’re supposed to follow them. Pound Cake follows all the rules.”
I kept my hardening crust a secret, told them it was normal for sourdough. But again that Gingerbread, he ratted me out to Pound Cake.
Pound Cake, the new Bread Deity, sat amongst his homies and had Banana Nut swooning at his side. She mouthed something, to what I do not know. But I think it would go something like this:
“Oh, Pound Cake, you’re so amazing, my mind explodes when I look at you?”
“Really?” he would reply “You seem fine to me,”
How that goofball stole my girl I’ll never know. If he had a brain cell it would be lonely.
Go figure, they partied past midnight and into the wee hours of morning. I feel like I only got five minutes of sleep before Henry flicked on the lights in the morning.
“Good morning pasties!” he swiped up a cupcake from the counter top and spun around with it.
“You are so perfect!” he cried cheerfully “Of course because I made you,” he placed the cupcake back down.
See? See what I mean, I told you cupcakes get all the love.
Just then Anna came in a gentle a smile on her face. Matt followed in with vacant expression. After Henry vanished into the back to finish his latest masterpiece, Anna came to the counter and started to fuss over the displays.
“Matt, help me move the pasties,”
“I don’t wanna,”
“Just do it dear,”
Matt moaned and pulled out a tray. Pound Cake was on that tray and that tray was being moved to our cabinet. This isn’t happening. Pound cake was placed into our zone. He and Banana Nut retreated to a nearby corner and cowered in fear.
Pumpernickel marveled “Is that r-really The Pound Cake?”
“Forget Pound Cake!” Yelled Wheat Bread, running “Banana Nut is here!” Wheat Bread dashed to the lovely Banana Nut, opened his mouth and remained silent, too stunned to even utter a word.
Banana Nut stared thoughtfully at Wheat Bread, then said something truly profound “We all become Lesser Breads one day,”
Pound Cake scooted away from Banana Nut “What!” he barked. “I will always be The Bread God,”
Another tray came in, carrying Cinnamon, Gingerbread, and Italian rolls. Once placed, the Premiere Breads united and huddled together in the back of the display case. I remained where I sat. Not caring. White Bread expressed irritation, Wheat Bread finally collects himself again, I am not sure if Rye Bread even noticed and Pumpernickel was bouncing about ready to make new friends. Then the “Mighty” Pound Cake proclaimed that there would be a dividing line. It was drawn in crumbs, the Lesser Breads, of course, got a smaller side, despite it being their case in the first place. Nothing really occurred for a while. I could hear the Premiere Breads chatting idly, about some mundane and worthless topic. From my spot I could see Pumpernickel quietly edging towards the Italian Rolls. He poked one and they responded in a ripple.
“That’s so cool!” he poked them again “t-that’s like really cool!”
The Italian Rolls cringed back in disgust “Ewww, hes crumbling on me!” one exclaimed, “Were gonna get all moldy!” cried another. “Excuse me!” snapped White Bread “Just because were ‘Lesser’ Breads doesn’t mean were moldy!”
Pound Cake snatched away one of the Italian Rolls and hid it away for safe keeping while shouting “Back I say!”
Pumpernickel reached out shakily “Is it really him?” contact was made “Pound Cake!” I swear I saw tears in his eyes.
Pound Cake leapt back abhorred and terrified. “I’ve been contaminated!” he squeaked like a little girl “ewww!”
White bread smacked the dazed Italian Rolls back into reality.
One asked “Were we just slapped by White Bread?”
“This is outrageous!”
“How dare you slap us!” another wailed.
Cinnamon rose enraged and tackled White Bread.
Wheat Bread, still doting over Banana Nut witnessed the attack on White Bread, and striking a heroic pose he said to Cinnamon Bread proclaimed “Oh, no you did not just hit my woman!”
“Your woman?” said White Bread fumbling to get up. Meanwhile Wheat Bread came charging at Cinnamon Bread. Too bad he tripped over “his woman" and smacked into Cinnamon Bread. The impact resulted into a full out brawl. Cinnamon Bread and Wheat Bread continued to fight, while the Italian Rolls ganged up on Pumpernickel.
Ginger Bread fell into a panic attack “What are you doing on this side!” he cried “we made a rule! You follow them. That’s why people make rules, so people can follow the rules,”
Rye waltzed over to Ginger Bread “Hey you should try some of this rye,”
Ginger Bread scampered to the corner and continued with his meltdown. Mean while Pound Cake used Banana Nut as a shield to the chaos.
“Save me!”
Banana Nut had her profound face on and said “The brawl of breads, all over a line of crumbs,”
Pound Cake shoved Banana Nut away “What are you talking about woman?”
Banana Nut did not even notice Pound Cake’s shun, she shouted “Customer!”
The Brawl came to a screeching halt as everyone scrambled to their places in the case. I didn’t even move.
A young red-cheeked boy with ginger hair came meandering through the door. Bright blue eyes surveyed the baked goods. On his feet worn shoes, on his clothes patches, in his hand he held a crinkled pound note.
Anna chimed “Morning dearie,” she leaned over the counter “What can I get for you?”
The small boy held up his pound note “What can get for one pound?”
Anna smiled warmly “That, dearie, is enough for a nice piece of bread,”
The boy’s babyish face lit up as she guided him to the choices he had.
“Any of these?” she asked.
The boy pondered “What are they called?”
“Well what do you feel like Dear? Would you like an Italian roll?”
“No,” replied shyly.
“Well how about some Banana Nut bread?”
The boy made a sour face “I hate bananas,”
Banana Nut almost twitched.
Anna continued to offer “How about some moist pound cake?”
“Maybe,”
“If not Pound Cake, how about some Sourdough?” she asked.
The boy went into deep thought. A few agonizing moments passed us by, each one longer than the one before. The breads waited nervously. Pound Cake and I exchanged challenging glances.
The boy decided.
“I want sourdough,”
The boy’s words rang like an angel’s chorus. Anna’s soft hands pulled me from the cabinet with gentle care. I felt like such a cupcake. She wrapped me tenderly in a white napkin and passed me to the excited boy. And so was defeated The Mighty Pound Cake, by a simple sourdough. The boy stared down at me with desirous eyes. He leaned down to take a chomp out of my half stale crust and all went black.
We were joking Hey lets make a story about bread... The Mighty Pound Cake, God of all Breads
SOOoo It evolved into this obscure little work :P
Enjoy!!!
Anna and Henry Lesniski were a jolly middle aged couple, who owned the quaint little bakery on Avon Street. People of all varieties walked by the colorful windows, that adorned the shop. Most of the time people would pass by with a curious glint, the same wanting looking as they gaze at the enticing display pasties. Usually people take a look, admire, and pass on by. But occasionally a customer comes wandering in. Often it’s an eager child pulling their mother in. Like this one child one who has been trying to persuade his mother to buy him a cupcake for the past ten minutes. Those blasted cupcakes, with their swirly frosting and vibrant colors, filling the souls of men with gluttony. The reluctant mother eventually gave way to her persistent child. Anna with a sweet smile reached into the display case. Her dainty hands caressing the chosen yellow frosted cupcake. She carefully and lovingly removed it place, being sure not to harm but a mere sprinkle. The child waited impatiently tapping from one foot to the other and swinging back and forth, awaiting his prize. Look at this it’s disgusting! Every greedy child who meanders into this shop begs for a cupcake. While I, Sourdough, have to sit in the reduced section with Rye bread.
“Hey man,” says Rye as swaggers back and forth “You have to try this stuff,”
“No,” I stated blatantly.
“But,” Rye persisted “it’s so good,”
A holler came from the other side of the cabinet “Yo, Rye Bread, no one gives a hoot about your crappy spices,”
“Hoot?” said a curious voice, clearly unimpressed with his poor vocabulary.
That was White Bread, she is surprisingly never impressed by the breads that we are supposed to slum within the reduced section. I used to be a part of the premiere breads, you know the breads that sit on display under pretty lights and are admired by all the lesser breads. Like Pumpernickel. I always know he is coming, because I can smell that whack-job from a mile away. He was on the other side of the display case but upon noticing me he conspicuously scooted over to my side and sat right next to me. I was greeted by his obscure, creepy giggle, that irks me to no end.
“H-hi,” he stuttered.
This is not happening to me. This is only a nightmare, a really bad one.
“You’re Sourdough right?”
“No, I am Wheat Bread,”
“What really?” he exclaimed, very shocked. He glanced around nervously over to the actual Wheat Bread “What?” he shook his head “There’s two of you?” he started fidget nervously “W-what? How did I not know?” he started rock back and forth “Wheat Bread!” he yelled “I am sorry for my impudence!” he wailed “I am unworthy!”
This cannot be happening to me. “Pumpernickel, I was kidding?” He stopped abruptly “You know my name?”
“Pumpernickel!” White Bread’s voice rang in the reduced section “What are you doing?” she snapped “You are disturbing the peace,”
Wheat Bread smirked “I like me an aggressive lady,”
To which White Bread merely rolled her eyes and sighed exasperated.
Pumpernickel piped up “I didn’t know there were two Wheat Breads,”
White Bread moaned “He, was kidding you idiot,” she indicated towards me “That’s Sourdough, note how he’s a different color,”
Pumpernickel awed “You are so smart White Bread,” he sighed “I wish I could be smart like you,”
“Yes, I’m genius, be quite,”
Pumpernickel was silent for rest of the day aside from a nervous laugh now and again. I watched other pastries being bought. A jelly stuffed donut with powder on top, for a large lady, and she wonders why she is so. A fancy éclair for this posh lawyer, he took it with delicacy and devoured it like an animal. Slurping out the cream first, looks like money isn’t the only thing he sucks, and then wolfing down the rest of the sweet. Then a very young and energetic woman walked in and bought a cake for her boss. I wonder what that is for, promotion perhaps. No one came in for the rest of the night. Anna and Henry bustled about to clean up shop, while Matt’s fast fingers clicked away at a cell phone.
“Matt, get off the phone,” said Anna from the back room.
“Why?” he asked annoyed.
“Because you should be mopping dear,”
Henry’s booming voice came from the oven room “Besides if you text any faster you’ll lose your fingers,”
Matt groaned and shoved his phone into back pocket. He then grabbed the mop mumbling obscenities to himself.
The baker and his family left a few minutes later and all was quiet for good while. That was until, the bass from the premiere’s bread box started to rattle the whole counter. Wheat Bread and Pumpernickel has their faces pressed against the glass to get a good look.
Wheat Bread cheered “Hey yall look!” He pointed “Its’ that foxy lady Banana Nut Bread,”
Pumpernickel let out a gasp before keeling over. Wheat Bread remained firm to his position, careful not to miss a single glimpse of the glorious Banana Nut Bread.
I remember those days, I remember those parties, I remember when I used throw those parties; I remember when Banana Nut Bread used to be my woman. Those were my glory days, Banana Nut by my side, the Lesser Breads gazing in awe. I used to be God, The God of all Breads. That until Pound Cake came, hot and steamy, fresh from the oven. I do not enjoy being replaced. I was usurped and my woman torn from me. I was permitted to stay with the Premiere Breads for a little while. That was until, Gingerbread, squealed on me. I can still recall his nervous and jittery voice.
“Youre not going stale are you?” he asked “Because if you’re going stale then you have to go. Those are rules. You have to follow them. That’s why they make rules. You’re supposed to follow them. Pound Cake follows all the rules.”
I kept my hardening crust a secret, told them it was normal for sourdough. But again that Gingerbread, he ratted me out to Pound Cake.
Pound Cake, the new Bread Deity, sat amongst his homies and had Banana Nut swooning at his side. She mouthed something, to what I do not know. But I think it would go something like this:
“Oh, Pound Cake, you’re so amazing, my mind explodes when I look at you?”
“Really?” he would reply “You seem fine to me,”
How that goofball stole my girl I’ll never know. If he had a brain cell it would be lonely.
Go figure, they partied past midnight and into the wee hours of morning. I feel like I only got five minutes of sleep before Henry flicked on the lights in the morning.
“Good morning pasties!” he swiped up a cupcake from the counter top and spun around with it.
“You are so perfect!” he cried cheerfully “Of course because I made you,” he placed the cupcake back down.
See? See what I mean, I told you cupcakes get all the love.
Just then Anna came in a gentle a smile on her face. Matt followed in with vacant expression. After Henry vanished into the back to finish his latest masterpiece, Anna came to the counter and started to fuss over the displays.
“Matt, help me move the pasties,”
“I don’t wanna,”
“Just do it dear,”
Matt moaned and pulled out a tray. Pound Cake was on that tray and that tray was being moved to our cabinet. This isn’t happening. Pound cake was placed into our zone. He and Banana Nut retreated to a nearby corner and cowered in fear.
Pumpernickel marveled “Is that r-really The Pound Cake?”
“Forget Pound Cake!” Yelled Wheat Bread, running “Banana Nut is here!” Wheat Bread dashed to the lovely Banana Nut, opened his mouth and remained silent, too stunned to even utter a word.
Banana Nut stared thoughtfully at Wheat Bread, then said something truly profound “We all become Lesser Breads one day,”
Pound Cake scooted away from Banana Nut “What!” he barked. “I will always be The Bread God,”
Another tray came in, carrying Cinnamon, Gingerbread, and Italian rolls. Once placed, the Premiere Breads united and huddled together in the back of the display case. I remained where I sat. Not caring. White Bread expressed irritation, Wheat Bread finally collects himself again, I am not sure if Rye Bread even noticed and Pumpernickel was bouncing about ready to make new friends. Then the “Mighty” Pound Cake proclaimed that there would be a dividing line. It was drawn in crumbs, the Lesser Breads, of course, got a smaller side, despite it being their case in the first place. Nothing really occurred for a while. I could hear the Premiere Breads chatting idly, about some mundane and worthless topic. From my spot I could see Pumpernickel quietly edging towards the Italian Rolls. He poked one and they responded in a ripple.
“That’s so cool!” he poked them again “t-that’s like really cool!”
The Italian Rolls cringed back in disgust “Ewww, hes crumbling on me!” one exclaimed, “Were gonna get all moldy!” cried another. “Excuse me!” snapped White Bread “Just because were ‘Lesser’ Breads doesn’t mean were moldy!”
Pound Cake snatched away one of the Italian Rolls and hid it away for safe keeping while shouting “Back I say!”
Pumpernickel reached out shakily “Is it really him?” contact was made “Pound Cake!” I swear I saw tears in his eyes.
Pound Cake leapt back abhorred and terrified. “I’ve been contaminated!” he squeaked like a little girl “ewww!”
White bread smacked the dazed Italian Rolls back into reality.
One asked “Were we just slapped by White Bread?”
“This is outrageous!”
“How dare you slap us!” another wailed.
Cinnamon rose enraged and tackled White Bread.
Wheat Bread, still doting over Banana Nut witnessed the attack on White Bread, and striking a heroic pose he said to Cinnamon Bread proclaimed “Oh, no you did not just hit my woman!”
“Your woman?” said White Bread fumbling to get up. Meanwhile Wheat Bread came charging at Cinnamon Bread. Too bad he tripped over “his woman" and smacked into Cinnamon Bread. The impact resulted into a full out brawl. Cinnamon Bread and Wheat Bread continued to fight, while the Italian Rolls ganged up on Pumpernickel.
Ginger Bread fell into a panic attack “What are you doing on this side!” he cried “we made a rule! You follow them. That’s why people make rules, so people can follow the rules,”
Rye waltzed over to Ginger Bread “Hey you should try some of this rye,”
Ginger Bread scampered to the corner and continued with his meltdown. Mean while Pound Cake used Banana Nut as a shield to the chaos.
“Save me!”
Banana Nut had her profound face on and said “The brawl of breads, all over a line of crumbs,”
Pound Cake shoved Banana Nut away “What are you talking about woman?”
Banana Nut did not even notice Pound Cake’s shun, she shouted “Customer!”
The Brawl came to a screeching halt as everyone scrambled to their places in the case. I didn’t even move.
A young red-cheeked boy with ginger hair came meandering through the door. Bright blue eyes surveyed the baked goods. On his feet worn shoes, on his clothes patches, in his hand he held a crinkled pound note.
Anna chimed “Morning dearie,” she leaned over the counter “What can I get for you?”
The small boy held up his pound note “What can get for one pound?”
Anna smiled warmly “That, dearie, is enough for a nice piece of bread,”
The boy’s babyish face lit up as she guided him to the choices he had.
“Any of these?” she asked.
The boy pondered “What are they called?”
“Well what do you feel like Dear? Would you like an Italian roll?”
“No,” replied shyly.
“Well how about some Banana Nut bread?”
The boy made a sour face “I hate bananas,”
Banana Nut almost twitched.
Anna continued to offer “How about some moist pound cake?”
“Maybe,”
“If not Pound Cake, how about some Sourdough?” she asked.
The boy went into deep thought. A few agonizing moments passed us by, each one longer than the one before. The breads waited nervously. Pound Cake and I exchanged challenging glances.
The boy decided.
“I want sourdough,”
The boy’s words rang like an angel’s chorus. Anna’s soft hands pulled me from the cabinet with gentle care. I felt like such a cupcake. She wrapped me tenderly in a white napkin and passed me to the excited boy. And so was defeated The Mighty Pound Cake, by a simple sourdough. The boy stared down at me with desirous eyes. He leaned down to take a chomp out of my half stale crust and all went black.
Original flight path
Excuse grammar suckiness
Original Plan- Leave 6:00 to San Jose Air port. Fly to Vegas from San Jose Airport. Get picked up by Tina in Vegas around 12-1. Spend day in city. Go see family
Plan B- Created as a result of the blizzard. Leave for San Jose Airport 6:15 Fly to Portland Oregon fly from San Jose Airport. Transfer over to Salt Lake City once in Portland. Arrival time 1-2 PM
What actually happened-
I woke up around 5:30 to get ready for the day of traveling. I went to bed at midnight because of my night class that goes very late, packing last minute and getting ready for bed. I also spend a good fifteen minutes searching for my blasted cell phone. The accused machine died and I spent the later hours scouring my dark house while half blind because I had taken my contacts out. Why did I take them out? One my eyes were burning and two you are really only suppose to wear them maybe 10 hours I had been wearing them maybe 14 or 15 hours. And my glasses were MIA. So I found the phone and searched my house again for a charger. I found one luckily then I had to find an outlet (I used the bathroom outlet). Anyway so I collapsed into bed after scriptures and prayer. I glared at the clock and remembered I had to set the alarm. So begrudgingly I clawed at the alarm clock and fumbled around till the time was set. Then I realized I had to get up and turn the light off. After a groan I pulled myself out of the warm sanctuary of the covers and switched off the light. I returned to bed, tossed around a bit and then finally relinquished my strength and just threw my face into the pillow, exhausted.
I woke to the little “beep, beep, beep,” of my alarm and peeped open an eye. Ugh. It’s 5:30…5:30 Gah I don’t want to relive my Seminary years! Groan. Ok well, I woke up around 5:00-5:30 all of High school I can get up now. So with five and half hours of sleep and my little spurt of energy I jumped out of bed and immediately wished I was back inside the covers because the house was flippen cold. Anyway, I zombie-walked to the bathroom and started to wash my face. I figure my routine in the morning will bore you al to tears so I’ll get on with it. My ride to the Air port calls me and she has a thick like…uhh Pilipino accent, so all I caught was. “I’m outside your house,” So I go outside into the bitter, freezing, frigid cold. And see a car. I think to myself… is that my neighbor’s car? I look down the street. Start shivering. After a minute or so I feel a little creeped out because the wind wrestled the trees and the street was lit by the street lamps. Anyway I try calling my ride but she called with a restricted number so I could not call back. Irritated I go back towards my house grumbling about the cold. I call my mom and as I opening the door I hear her little voice
“Tiffany”
My ride, Ms. Semons, waves at me. I realize it was the car I saw earlier and thought about kicking myself. Then my mom finally picks up the phone and I have to shoo her away and tell her everything is fine. Anyway, so I get into the car and after a slightly awkward 20 min car ride we arrive at the air port. I give her my thanks and leave for the airport. My father was paranoid that my luggage would get lost in the transit flight. So I decided to send my clothes with my parents and lug around the laptop in my bag. Along with books and other thing, it was not all that heavy actually. (PRESENT TENSE) So I wander over to security and beat the escalator people by taking the stairs. I come to two lines... One was significantly shorter than the other. So naturally I go into that one wondering why everyone else was piling into the other line. I walk through the line; the fools in the other line give me glares. I shy away from the ribbon that separated us and then finally get it through my thick head that I might be in the wrong line. I look behind me and there are pilots and flight attendants whizzing past me. I glance around confused and ask the pilot behind me “Is this like a special person line?”
He responds by saying very politely “Yes, I think this a line for first class and staff.”
I say “oh,” and then retreat to the back of the other line filled with fools. I stand next a huge black guy and feel significantly small. Then I thought how cool it would be to have a massive wall of meat to protect me. Anyway, I had to scramble around to get all my stuff into the bins for the scanners. I filled up a bottom bin and realized it was bolted to the floor. After declaring conspiracy I chucked my stuff into another bin and shuffled through the metal detectors. So, on the other side I grab my belongings and have like an hour to kill. This is why I don’t understand why you leave for air ports so early! I have never had the “five mins to spare” I always have like an hour before the freaking flight takes off. So I just cracked open a book. On the plane we don’t take off because there’s ice on the wings. The Pilot declares 30 mins later that the ice trucks broke and then the backup ice trucks broke too. Epic fail. It wasn’t so bad though. On the plane I sat next a pleasant fellow. He is very amiable and I come to conclusion in my mind that he’s Irish. He looks Irish well; he looks like Kat’s dad, who is very Irish. LOL Then later he says his name is Patrick. Case closed. He’s Irish.
Mean while the plane sits in and waits on the sun to melt the ice. The chipper pilot makes me feel better about it. “Passengers, it looks like we’ll have to wait just a little longer for a safe take off. So make yourselves comfortable and our stewardesses will attend to you.”
Anyway Patrick’s a chatterbox, not that I really mind, I am more of a listener anyway. We talk movies, animation and school. He likes Tim Burton and Coraline. I like this guy hahaha. He lost points when he ordered a Bloody Mary.
The ice trucks work again after like an hour. So after five mins the ice is all melted and we FINALLY Take off.
Back to Patrick, he’s been down to Pixar and Google, due to his job position is Media and like Radio or something. Google and Pixar offer buffets for employees all the time anytime for free. They have courts for sports, swimming pools and sleeping bags. They also get free haircuts and oil changes! Man, being an animator is going to be sweet lol. Anyway we geek out over Batman Movies and then the flight ends. He says he enjoyed talking to me and I saw like wise and dart down the aisle because I was very eager to get off the plane. I thought he would be right behind me so I could say Bye for real but there a family with over-active children in the way. So I lost him. Sad days.
So because the Ice took forever to melt and the airports incompetence I missed my flight and I have to take an alternative route from Portland to Salt Lake City.
I go to the desk and the irritated lady points me towards Brad, who is across the hall. Brad is a sort of pretty looking guy with nice hair. Too bad he had a gay vibe, I totally would have flirted. I was also shot down completely when he called me “Sweetie” *sigh* I guess I still look sixteen. So, anyway I get a new plane ticket to Las Vegas and a connecting flight to Salt Lake. I have like 20 mins. So I only get to pee. I downed a ton of water on the plane because I was starving. Patrick and I both shared the starving factor. I think he had like poptarts and I had Eggo Waffles. So when we got the cheap peanuts and the little pretzels we both concurred they tasted like heaven. I find the gate and get on the super tightly packed flight, way in the back. I try to break the ice with an Asian couple by saying hi. They left me stranded for second and I automatically felt incredibly awkward.
“Hi, I’m Tiffany”
Girl: …
Boy:…
Me: okay then
Girl: oh Sorry I am (insert asian name that I cannot say or remember)
Boy: Tom
(I thought it was funny that there was like Shi-yaon I remember sort of her name and then the guy’s name is Tom, just Tom.)
I ask them about Vegas and they say they are going there for fun. I tell em I like the shows like the Blue man group. Tom replies with a thick accent and says “Pantom”.
I say “Oh PHANTOM like of the Opera? Yeah that’s good one.”
The conversation ended. I didn’t bug them anymore because they seemed way more into each other than they did a pleasant conversation and spearing them for answers would a terrible experience. Good thing I had an excellent book Called : “The Treasure Keeper” I like the character Zoe. She’s strong and stubborn and I felt bad for Hayden! Then mad at Rhys. Grr read the book and rage with me.
The flight attendants brought little plain crackers. They were so cute! They were shaped like little planes. I devoured them, considering I had no lunch and it was like 2 PM. An hour later she came by again and offered a single pack, I grabbed it so fast. Snatch. Like a ninja. I was really hungry ok? The Stewardess was like “oookay” and walked away. The Asian couple made a few laughs.
We land In Vegas I call my worried mother. She tells me to find the next gate. I think “Well, duh.”
I find the gate, after taking the longest possible route, of course. I look at my watch I have like over an hour to kill. I decide to find food, having a strong urge for Ice cream I set out to quest for some. I come across a store, entirely devoted to fancy liquors. It looked like a perfume shop. I’m serious they had the bottles on lit up glass cabinets. I think to myself “Only in Vegas,” In retrospect it is rather funny. I scour the airport find burritos, steak, wine, candy, cookies. THEN A Buger King! YES Milk shakes. They’re out of milk shakes. I get a pretzel chat with the pretzel lady. She was nice she gave me two cents instead of just breaking the dollar. I wish her happy holidays and walk back to my gate while eating the pretzel. I get a lot of strange looks.
The flight to Salt Lake City is quiet. I walk onto the airplane and think to myself. All captains look the same. You know sort of taunt men, roughly 5’10’’ or above, with neatly trimmed hair. I think of all the captains I saw today at the three airports I had been to so far. The pilots look relatively the same. The flight attendants vary. First flight there was a very pretty stewardess with lovely hair. Second flight there was a kinda worn out 40 year old stewardess with shorts on and spiked hair. The third flight had a man, he looks like Tony Shaluba(SP?). So I get to Salt Lake City and realize I burned through 200 pages of the book. I call my mom and she says that “we are already circling come out” So I leave the gate and walk to the front. I smile to myself as I think about how ridiculous that whole day was. Then snicker again because I had been to 4 airports in one day and had traveled …well I don’t know very far (San Jose to Portland, to Las Vegas to Salt Lake City). I step out into Utah’s 15 degrees weather, whimper and hope mom is close by (I get cold in my house at 70 degrees. 15 I won’t do so great in that) . I call her on her cell and she says hello. I ask her where she is, then I hear something that sounded like a heard of wild animals being thrown about in a blender. I promptly ask “What the heck was that?”
“*indescribable sound*”
“umm okay”
“YOU DIDN’T CALL ME BACK!!” (she was scared)
“Oh Tina… sorry, where’s the car?”
Mother answers “between five and six”
I briskly walk to the car hug my mom and sister and then get into the car. Whew.
Original Plan- Leave 6:00 to San Jose Air port. Fly to Vegas from San Jose Airport. Get picked up by Tina in Vegas around 12-1. Spend day in city. Go see family
Plan B- Created as a result of the blizzard. Leave for San Jose Airport 6:15 Fly to Portland Oregon fly from San Jose Airport. Transfer over to Salt Lake City once in Portland. Arrival time 1-2 PM
What actually happened-
I woke up around 5:30 to get ready for the day of traveling. I went to bed at midnight because of my night class that goes very late, packing last minute and getting ready for bed. I also spend a good fifteen minutes searching for my blasted cell phone. The accused machine died and I spent the later hours scouring my dark house while half blind because I had taken my contacts out. Why did I take them out? One my eyes were burning and two you are really only suppose to wear them maybe 10 hours I had been wearing them maybe 14 or 15 hours. And my glasses were MIA. So I found the phone and searched my house again for a charger. I found one luckily then I had to find an outlet (I used the bathroom outlet). Anyway so I collapsed into bed after scriptures and prayer. I glared at the clock and remembered I had to set the alarm. So begrudgingly I clawed at the alarm clock and fumbled around till the time was set. Then I realized I had to get up and turn the light off. After a groan I pulled myself out of the warm sanctuary of the covers and switched off the light. I returned to bed, tossed around a bit and then finally relinquished my strength and just threw my face into the pillow, exhausted.
I woke to the little “beep, beep, beep,” of my alarm and peeped open an eye. Ugh. It’s 5:30…5:30 Gah I don’t want to relive my Seminary years! Groan. Ok well, I woke up around 5:00-5:30 all of High school I can get up now. So with five and half hours of sleep and my little spurt of energy I jumped out of bed and immediately wished I was back inside the covers because the house was flippen cold. Anyway, I zombie-walked to the bathroom and started to wash my face. I figure my routine in the morning will bore you al to tears so I’ll get on with it. My ride to the Air port calls me and she has a thick like…uhh Pilipino accent, so all I caught was. “I’m outside your house,” So I go outside into the bitter, freezing, frigid cold. And see a car. I think to myself… is that my neighbor’s car? I look down the street. Start shivering. After a minute or so I feel a little creeped out because the wind wrestled the trees and the street was lit by the street lamps. Anyway I try calling my ride but she called with a restricted number so I could not call back. Irritated I go back towards my house grumbling about the cold. I call my mom and as I opening the door I hear her little voice
“Tiffany”
My ride, Ms. Semons, waves at me. I realize it was the car I saw earlier and thought about kicking myself. Then my mom finally picks up the phone and I have to shoo her away and tell her everything is fine. Anyway, so I get into the car and after a slightly awkward 20 min car ride we arrive at the air port. I give her my thanks and leave for the airport. My father was paranoid that my luggage would get lost in the transit flight. So I decided to send my clothes with my parents and lug around the laptop in my bag. Along with books and other thing, it was not all that heavy actually. (PRESENT TENSE) So I wander over to security and beat the escalator people by taking the stairs. I come to two lines... One was significantly shorter than the other. So naturally I go into that one wondering why everyone else was piling into the other line. I walk through the line; the fools in the other line give me glares. I shy away from the ribbon that separated us and then finally get it through my thick head that I might be in the wrong line. I look behind me and there are pilots and flight attendants whizzing past me. I glance around confused and ask the pilot behind me “Is this like a special person line?”
He responds by saying very politely “Yes, I think this a line for first class and staff.”
I say “oh,” and then retreat to the back of the other line filled with fools. I stand next a huge black guy and feel significantly small. Then I thought how cool it would be to have a massive wall of meat to protect me. Anyway, I had to scramble around to get all my stuff into the bins for the scanners. I filled up a bottom bin and realized it was bolted to the floor. After declaring conspiracy I chucked my stuff into another bin and shuffled through the metal detectors. So, on the other side I grab my belongings and have like an hour to kill. This is why I don’t understand why you leave for air ports so early! I have never had the “five mins to spare” I always have like an hour before the freaking flight takes off. So I just cracked open a book. On the plane we don’t take off because there’s ice on the wings. The Pilot declares 30 mins later that the ice trucks broke and then the backup ice trucks broke too. Epic fail. It wasn’t so bad though. On the plane I sat next a pleasant fellow. He is very amiable and I come to conclusion in my mind that he’s Irish. He looks Irish well; he looks like Kat’s dad, who is very Irish. LOL Then later he says his name is Patrick. Case closed. He’s Irish.
Mean while the plane sits in and waits on the sun to melt the ice. The chipper pilot makes me feel better about it. “Passengers, it looks like we’ll have to wait just a little longer for a safe take off. So make yourselves comfortable and our stewardesses will attend to you.”
Anyway Patrick’s a chatterbox, not that I really mind, I am more of a listener anyway. We talk movies, animation and school. He likes Tim Burton and Coraline. I like this guy hahaha. He lost points when he ordered a Bloody Mary.
The ice trucks work again after like an hour. So after five mins the ice is all melted and we FINALLY Take off.
Back to Patrick, he’s been down to Pixar and Google, due to his job position is Media and like Radio or something. Google and Pixar offer buffets for employees all the time anytime for free. They have courts for sports, swimming pools and sleeping bags. They also get free haircuts and oil changes! Man, being an animator is going to be sweet lol. Anyway we geek out over Batman Movies and then the flight ends. He says he enjoyed talking to me and I saw like wise and dart down the aisle because I was very eager to get off the plane. I thought he would be right behind me so I could say Bye for real but there a family with over-active children in the way. So I lost him. Sad days.
So because the Ice took forever to melt and the airports incompetence I missed my flight and I have to take an alternative route from Portland to Salt Lake City.
I go to the desk and the irritated lady points me towards Brad, who is across the hall. Brad is a sort of pretty looking guy with nice hair. Too bad he had a gay vibe, I totally would have flirted. I was also shot down completely when he called me “Sweetie” *sigh* I guess I still look sixteen. So, anyway I get a new plane ticket to Las Vegas and a connecting flight to Salt Lake. I have like 20 mins. So I only get to pee. I downed a ton of water on the plane because I was starving. Patrick and I both shared the starving factor. I think he had like poptarts and I had Eggo Waffles. So when we got the cheap peanuts and the little pretzels we both concurred they tasted like heaven. I find the gate and get on the super tightly packed flight, way in the back. I try to break the ice with an Asian couple by saying hi. They left me stranded for second and I automatically felt incredibly awkward.
“Hi, I’m Tiffany”
Girl: …
Boy:…
Me: okay then
Girl: oh Sorry I am (insert asian name that I cannot say or remember)
Boy: Tom
(I thought it was funny that there was like Shi-yaon I remember sort of her name and then the guy’s name is Tom, just Tom.)
I ask them about Vegas and they say they are going there for fun. I tell em I like the shows like the Blue man group. Tom replies with a thick accent and says “Pantom”.
I say “Oh PHANTOM like of the Opera? Yeah that’s good one.”
The conversation ended. I didn’t bug them anymore because they seemed way more into each other than they did a pleasant conversation and spearing them for answers would a terrible experience. Good thing I had an excellent book Called : “The Treasure Keeper” I like the character Zoe. She’s strong and stubborn and I felt bad for Hayden! Then mad at Rhys. Grr read the book and rage with me.
The flight attendants brought little plain crackers. They were so cute! They were shaped like little planes. I devoured them, considering I had no lunch and it was like 2 PM. An hour later she came by again and offered a single pack, I grabbed it so fast. Snatch. Like a ninja. I was really hungry ok? The Stewardess was like “oookay” and walked away. The Asian couple made a few laughs.
We land In Vegas I call my worried mother. She tells me to find the next gate. I think “Well, duh.”
I find the gate, after taking the longest possible route, of course. I look at my watch I have like over an hour to kill. I decide to find food, having a strong urge for Ice cream I set out to quest for some. I come across a store, entirely devoted to fancy liquors. It looked like a perfume shop. I’m serious they had the bottles on lit up glass cabinets. I think to myself “Only in Vegas,” In retrospect it is rather funny. I scour the airport find burritos, steak, wine, candy, cookies. THEN A Buger King! YES Milk shakes. They’re out of milk shakes. I get a pretzel chat with the pretzel lady. She was nice she gave me two cents instead of just breaking the dollar. I wish her happy holidays and walk back to my gate while eating the pretzel. I get a lot of strange looks.
The flight to Salt Lake City is quiet. I walk onto the airplane and think to myself. All captains look the same. You know sort of taunt men, roughly 5’10’’ or above, with neatly trimmed hair. I think of all the captains I saw today at the three airports I had been to so far. The pilots look relatively the same. The flight attendants vary. First flight there was a very pretty stewardess with lovely hair. Second flight there was a kinda worn out 40 year old stewardess with shorts on and spiked hair. The third flight had a man, he looks like Tony Shaluba(SP?). So I get to Salt Lake City and realize I burned through 200 pages of the book. I call my mom and she says that “we are already circling come out” So I leave the gate and walk to the front. I smile to myself as I think about how ridiculous that whole day was. Then snicker again because I had been to 4 airports in one day and had traveled …well I don’t know very far (San Jose to Portland, to Las Vegas to Salt Lake City). I step out into Utah’s 15 degrees weather, whimper and hope mom is close by (I get cold in my house at 70 degrees. 15 I won’t do so great in that) . I call her on her cell and she says hello. I ask her where she is, then I hear something that sounded like a heard of wild animals being thrown about in a blender. I promptly ask “What the heck was that?”
“*indescribable sound*”
“umm okay”
“YOU DIDN’T CALL ME BACK!!” (she was scared)
“Oh Tina… sorry, where’s the car?”
Mother answers “between five and six”
I briskly walk to the car hug my mom and sister and then get into the car. Whew.
Improvement of Oneself
My Talk give on April 18th of 2011. Based on the Talk "As Many as I Rebuke, Love and Chasten," given by D.Todd Christofferson in the Latter-Day Saint Spring conference in 2011
heres the link
http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/as-many-as-i-love-i-rebuke-and-chasten?lang=eng
Hello, my name is Tiffany Roper. Ive been in this ward for a few months and was asked to give another talk on the recent spring general conference. I had trouble between two talks. I demand you all Read Both.
The two talks were As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten D. by Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
and
What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be? Lynn G. Robbins of the Seventy
In the end I chose, As Many as I Love, Rebuke and Chasten.
So this is how it’s going to work. I’ll read some of the talk by D.Todd Christofferson and basically add commentary. I felt that was how I should conduct this speech.
Now, you have to pay attention because I skip around a lot. I eschew transitions personally.
Both speakers address the potential of humans to become divine in nature; in other words to throw off the cloak of human and take on the mantle of God.
A cloak merely conceals, while a mantle envelops, to be enveloped by divine nature we must undergo the personal trials that God places before us. So that we, may at some point may become perfect. As Christ says “I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect” in 3 Nephi 12:48. The savior invites us to be holy so that we might abide in celestial glory. Not only with him and the Father, but like him and the Father.
The path to perfection is not easy; as it was not meant to be so. Perfection is obtained by the willingness to obey the gospel. And even with our human imperfections we can become like Christ, due to his atoning sacrifice.
D. Todd Christofferson said “He knows what is required, and so, to make our transformation possible, He provides His commandments and covenants, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and most important, the Atonement and Resurrection of His Beloved Son.”
Sadly, much of modern Christianity does not acknowledge that God makes any real demands on those who believe in Him, seeing Him rather as a butler “who meets their needs when summoned” or a therapist whose role is to help people “feel good about themselves.” 2 It is a religious outlook that “makes no pretense at changing lives.” 3 “By contrast,” as one author declares, “the God portrayed in both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures asks, not just for commitment, but for our very lives. The God of the Bible traffics in life and death, not niceness, and calls for sacrificial love, not benign whatever-ism.”
I have many non member friends, many of which are either lukewarm Christians or an undeclared faith. The lukewarm Christian friends don’t get it. A thought occurred to me the other day. Just hear me out because this will sound strange at first but makes sense in the end. Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross was not a big deal. Why? Well, he’s a God with the power over life and death. He suffered for 5 hours on the cross because he wanted too. He could have endured physical death whenever he wanted. I’m not saying that the death and resurrection are not important, because they are deeply important to our salvation. But compared to the atonement, compared to the weight of our suffering, sadness, and sin, not only of this world but all worlds under the Father, his physical death on the cross was nothing. The price to save our spirits was a much heftier than to save our bodies. This only goes to say further, that our spirits are much more precious than our bodies, once again, not to say that our bodies are not important or precious. Back to Modern Christianity. It’s a pity, because they put emphasis on the physical death as opposed to the real triumph of spiritual death.
Ok pause, now back to what D. Todd Christofferson saying about “benign-whateverism.” I love this phrase. Benign means “having a kindly disposition”, whateverism means to be indifferent. Many modern Christians teach that you must only be good and by grace you’ll be saved. We know this not to be true because of what Mormon said
“For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore it is counted evil before God. …and…if he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such.” (Moroni7:9-10)
Some years ago Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained: “The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.
Your hearts need to be in it. God doesn’t just say “Play nice and you’ll be fine,” he says “Become like me, through my son.”
Back to D. Todd Christofferson : “I would like to speak of one particular attitude and practice we need to adopt if we are to meet our Heavenly Father’s high expectations. It is this: willingly to accept and even seek correction. Correction is vital if we would conform our lives “unto a perfect man, [that is,] unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). Paul said of divine correction or chastening, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth” (Hebrews 12:6). Though it is often difficult to endure, truly we ought to rejoice that God considers us worth the time and trouble to correct.
To me this all means swallowing up pride and adopting humility. Being teachable: giving up something you want for something better, taking some pain for a greater purpose, throwing off the cloak and taking the mantle.
Back to Christofferson “Divine chastening has at least three purposes: (1) to persuade us to repent, (2) to refine and sanctify us, and (3) at times to redirect our course in life to what God knows is a better path.”
“Consider first of all repentance, the necessary condition for forgiveness and cleansing. The Lord declared, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Revelation 3:19). Again He said, “And my people must needs be chastened until they learn obedience, if it must needs be, by the things which they suffer” (D&C 105:6; see also D&C 1:27).”
In addition to stimulating our repentance, the very experience of enduring chastening can refine us and prepare us for greater spiritual privileges. Said the Lord, “My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom” (D&C 136:31). In another place He said, “For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified” (D&C 101:5; see also Hebrews 12:10). As Elder Paul V. Johnson said this morning, we should take care not to resent the very things that help us put on the divine nature.” End quote
My thoughts: “I think everyone should go through their own Hell at least once. Nothing refines you better than some hellfire in your life.”
I can attest from personal experience. God gives you a trial to test yourself. He already knows what you can handle. The hellfire is for you. It’s to refine you and craft you in to the image of God. In other words: to adopt a divine, a godly, nature. In other, other words, to take off the cloak and pick up the mantle.
Back to D. Todd Christofferson “God uses another form of chastening or correction to guide us to a future we do not or cannot now envision but which He knows is the better way for us. President Hugh B. Brown, formerly a member of the Twelve and a counselor in the First Presidency, provided a personal experience. He told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it say:
“How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.”
President Brown replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’”
Years later, President Brown was a field officer in the Canadian Army. When a superior officer became a battle casualty, President Brown was in line to be promoted to general. But even though he was fully qualified for the promotion, it was denied him because he was a Mormon. The commanding general said in essence, “You deserve the appointment, but I cannot give it to you.” What President Brown had spent 10 years hoping, praying, and preparing for slipped through his fingers in that moment because of blatant discrimination. Continuing his story, President Brown remembered:
“I got on the train and started back … with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. … When I got to my tent, … I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, ‘How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done—that I should have done—that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?’ I was as bitter as gall.
Break for a second. Sound familiar? Im sure we can all relate to something like this. Return to story.
“And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, ‘I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.’ The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness. …
“… And now, almost 50 years later, I look up to [God] and say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.’” 5
God knew what Hugh B. Brown was to become and what was needed for that to happen, and He redirected his course to prepare him for the holy apostleship.
My thoughts- This reminded me of the devotional of the shack becoming a mansion. In the devotional you are compared to a shack. The owner moves in and starts to tear down the walls. You weep and cry and are a bitter as gall. You ask your master, why are you doing this? The master replies I am tearing down these walls so you can become a mansion.
Christofferson said “If we sincerely desire and strive to measure up to the high expectations of our Heavenly Father, He will ensure that we receive all the help we need, whether it be comforting, strengthening, or chastening. If we are open to it, needed correction will come in many forms and from many sources. Correction can come through others, especially those who are God-inspired to promote our happiness. Apostles, prophets, patriarchs, bishops, and others have been put into the Church today, just as anciently, erhaps some of the things said in this conference have come to you as a call to repentance or change, which if heeded will lift you to a higher place. We can help one another as fellow Church members; it is one of the primary reasons that the Savior established a church. Even when we encounter mean-spirited criticism from persons who have little regard or love for us, it can be helpful to exercise enough meekness to weigh it and sift out anything that might benefit us.
Remember that if we resist correction, others may discontinue offering it altogether, despite their love for us. If we repeatedly fail to act on the chastening of a loving God, then He too will desist. He has said, “My Spirit will not always strive with man” (Ether 2:15). Eventually, much of our chastening should come from within.” End quote
I do this all the time. I thought it was normal, but I guess not because he’s talking about it. But that’s not what im getting at. I promise you that Self-correction and Self-beat up on the inside are not the same thing. Self correction actually helps, self-beat up doesn’t. Self-correction is wonderful and to me means that you are not afraid of Hellfire anymore because you run into it. Now, don’t misread me. I don’t want you to go looking for trials. God will send what he knows is necessary and you will get what’s required. We can get through any type of Hell because of the atonement and spirit. All trials are for our refinement.
D Todd Christofferson said “All of us can meet God’s high expectations, however great or small our capacity and talent may be. Moroni affirms, “If ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is [God’s] grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ” (Moroni 10:32). It is a diligent, devoted effort on our part that calls forth this empowering and enabling grace, an effort that certainly includes submission to God’s chastening hand and sincere, unqualified repentance. Let us pray for His love-inspired correction.”
I testify we can adopt a divine nature. We can change into the divine and we can fight off “the natural man.” I testify that God loves us and because of that Love he provided his perfect son and the atonement. I testify that we can become like god. We must offer a broken heart and contrite spirit. We must remember that we are not physical beings experiencing spiritual things, but rather Spiritual experiencing physical things. We must throw off the cloak and take on the mantle so that we can take on our true nature.
I say this in the name of the beloved son, our savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
heres the link
http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/as-many-as-i-love-i-rebuke-and-chasten?lang=eng
Hello, my name is Tiffany Roper. Ive been in this ward for a few months and was asked to give another talk on the recent spring general conference. I had trouble between two talks. I demand you all Read Both.
The two talks were As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten D. by Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
and
What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be? Lynn G. Robbins of the Seventy
In the end I chose, As Many as I Love, Rebuke and Chasten.
So this is how it’s going to work. I’ll read some of the talk by D.Todd Christofferson and basically add commentary. I felt that was how I should conduct this speech.
Now, you have to pay attention because I skip around a lot. I eschew transitions personally.
Both speakers address the potential of humans to become divine in nature; in other words to throw off the cloak of human and take on the mantle of God.
A cloak merely conceals, while a mantle envelops, to be enveloped by divine nature we must undergo the personal trials that God places before us. So that we, may at some point may become perfect. As Christ says “I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect” in 3 Nephi 12:48. The savior invites us to be holy so that we might abide in celestial glory. Not only with him and the Father, but like him and the Father.
The path to perfection is not easy; as it was not meant to be so. Perfection is obtained by the willingness to obey the gospel. And even with our human imperfections we can become like Christ, due to his atoning sacrifice.
D. Todd Christofferson said “He knows what is required, and so, to make our transformation possible, He provides His commandments and covenants, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and most important, the Atonement and Resurrection of His Beloved Son.”
Sadly, much of modern Christianity does not acknowledge that God makes any real demands on those who believe in Him, seeing Him rather as a butler “who meets their needs when summoned” or a therapist whose role is to help people “feel good about themselves.” 2 It is a religious outlook that “makes no pretense at changing lives.” 3 “By contrast,” as one author declares, “the God portrayed in both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures asks, not just for commitment, but for our very lives. The God of the Bible traffics in life and death, not niceness, and calls for sacrificial love, not benign whatever-ism.”
I have many non member friends, many of which are either lukewarm Christians or an undeclared faith. The lukewarm Christian friends don’t get it. A thought occurred to me the other day. Just hear me out because this will sound strange at first but makes sense in the end. Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross was not a big deal. Why? Well, he’s a God with the power over life and death. He suffered for 5 hours on the cross because he wanted too. He could have endured physical death whenever he wanted. I’m not saying that the death and resurrection are not important, because they are deeply important to our salvation. But compared to the atonement, compared to the weight of our suffering, sadness, and sin, not only of this world but all worlds under the Father, his physical death on the cross was nothing. The price to save our spirits was a much heftier than to save our bodies. This only goes to say further, that our spirits are much more precious than our bodies, once again, not to say that our bodies are not important or precious. Back to Modern Christianity. It’s a pity, because they put emphasis on the physical death as opposed to the real triumph of spiritual death.
Ok pause, now back to what D. Todd Christofferson saying about “benign-whateverism.” I love this phrase. Benign means “having a kindly disposition”, whateverism means to be indifferent. Many modern Christians teach that you must only be good and by grace you’ll be saved. We know this not to be true because of what Mormon said
“For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore it is counted evil before God. …and…if he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such.” (Moroni7:9-10)
Some years ago Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained: “The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.
Your hearts need to be in it. God doesn’t just say “Play nice and you’ll be fine,” he says “Become like me, through my son.”
Back to D. Todd Christofferson : “I would like to speak of one particular attitude and practice we need to adopt if we are to meet our Heavenly Father’s high expectations. It is this: willingly to accept and even seek correction. Correction is vital if we would conform our lives “unto a perfect man, [that is,] unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). Paul said of divine correction or chastening, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth” (Hebrews 12:6). Though it is often difficult to endure, truly we ought to rejoice that God considers us worth the time and trouble to correct.
To me this all means swallowing up pride and adopting humility. Being teachable: giving up something you want for something better, taking some pain for a greater purpose, throwing off the cloak and taking the mantle.
Back to Christofferson “Divine chastening has at least three purposes: (1) to persuade us to repent, (2) to refine and sanctify us, and (3) at times to redirect our course in life to what God knows is a better path.”
“Consider first of all repentance, the necessary condition for forgiveness and cleansing. The Lord declared, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Revelation 3:19). Again He said, “And my people must needs be chastened until they learn obedience, if it must needs be, by the things which they suffer” (D&C 105:6; see also D&C 1:27).”
In addition to stimulating our repentance, the very experience of enduring chastening can refine us and prepare us for greater spiritual privileges. Said the Lord, “My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom” (D&C 136:31). In another place He said, “For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified” (D&C 101:5; see also Hebrews 12:10). As Elder Paul V. Johnson said this morning, we should take care not to resent the very things that help us put on the divine nature.” End quote
My thoughts: “I think everyone should go through their own Hell at least once. Nothing refines you better than some hellfire in your life.”
I can attest from personal experience. God gives you a trial to test yourself. He already knows what you can handle. The hellfire is for you. It’s to refine you and craft you in to the image of God. In other words: to adopt a divine, a godly, nature. In other, other words, to take off the cloak and pick up the mantle.
Back to D. Todd Christofferson “God uses another form of chastening or correction to guide us to a future we do not or cannot now envision but which He knows is the better way for us. President Hugh B. Brown, formerly a member of the Twelve and a counselor in the First Presidency, provided a personal experience. He told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it say:
“How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.”
President Brown replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’”
Years later, President Brown was a field officer in the Canadian Army. When a superior officer became a battle casualty, President Brown was in line to be promoted to general. But even though he was fully qualified for the promotion, it was denied him because he was a Mormon. The commanding general said in essence, “You deserve the appointment, but I cannot give it to you.” What President Brown had spent 10 years hoping, praying, and preparing for slipped through his fingers in that moment because of blatant discrimination. Continuing his story, President Brown remembered:
“I got on the train and started back … with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. … When I got to my tent, … I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, ‘How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done—that I should have done—that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?’ I was as bitter as gall.
Break for a second. Sound familiar? Im sure we can all relate to something like this. Return to story.
“And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, ‘I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.’ The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness. …
“… And now, almost 50 years later, I look up to [God] and say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.’” 5
God knew what Hugh B. Brown was to become and what was needed for that to happen, and He redirected his course to prepare him for the holy apostleship.
My thoughts- This reminded me of the devotional of the shack becoming a mansion. In the devotional you are compared to a shack. The owner moves in and starts to tear down the walls. You weep and cry and are a bitter as gall. You ask your master, why are you doing this? The master replies I am tearing down these walls so you can become a mansion.
Christofferson said “If we sincerely desire and strive to measure up to the high expectations of our Heavenly Father, He will ensure that we receive all the help we need, whether it be comforting, strengthening, or chastening. If we are open to it, needed correction will come in many forms and from many sources. Correction can come through others, especially those who are God-inspired to promote our happiness. Apostles, prophets, patriarchs, bishops, and others have been put into the Church today, just as anciently, erhaps some of the things said in this conference have come to you as a call to repentance or change, which if heeded will lift you to a higher place. We can help one another as fellow Church members; it is one of the primary reasons that the Savior established a church. Even when we encounter mean-spirited criticism from persons who have little regard or love for us, it can be helpful to exercise enough meekness to weigh it and sift out anything that might benefit us.
Remember that if we resist correction, others may discontinue offering it altogether, despite their love for us. If we repeatedly fail to act on the chastening of a loving God, then He too will desist. He has said, “My Spirit will not always strive with man” (Ether 2:15). Eventually, much of our chastening should come from within.” End quote
I do this all the time. I thought it was normal, but I guess not because he’s talking about it. But that’s not what im getting at. I promise you that Self-correction and Self-beat up on the inside are not the same thing. Self correction actually helps, self-beat up doesn’t. Self-correction is wonderful and to me means that you are not afraid of Hellfire anymore because you run into it. Now, don’t misread me. I don’t want you to go looking for trials. God will send what he knows is necessary and you will get what’s required. We can get through any type of Hell because of the atonement and spirit. All trials are for our refinement.
D Todd Christofferson said “All of us can meet God’s high expectations, however great or small our capacity and talent may be. Moroni affirms, “If ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is [God’s] grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ” (Moroni 10:32). It is a diligent, devoted effort on our part that calls forth this empowering and enabling grace, an effort that certainly includes submission to God’s chastening hand and sincere, unqualified repentance. Let us pray for His love-inspired correction.”
I testify we can adopt a divine nature. We can change into the divine and we can fight off “the natural man.” I testify that God loves us and because of that Love he provided his perfect son and the atonement. I testify that we can become like god. We must offer a broken heart and contrite spirit. We must remember that we are not physical beings experiencing spiritual things, but rather Spiritual experiencing physical things. We must throw off the cloak and take on the mantle so that we can take on our true nature.
I say this in the name of the beloved son, our savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Choices
This my talk based on President Thomas S. Monson's The Three R's of Choice
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/the-three-rs-of-choice?lang=eng
I dont remember when I gave this talk in Church lol
The power to become like God the crowning blessing of the Atonement, is integrally related to the power to be free, for in truth, the freest of all beings is God himself.
Gods are the freest of all beings because "all things are subject unto them..and they have all power" ( d&c 132:20)
Hey Im Tiffany Roper Im 18 and I was asked to give this talk about three weeks ago. I was given a choice to which I readily replied
“Sure,”
a particular brother looked at me astounded and said “We need more people like you.”
So I opened with that because my subject is choice. I could have chosen to not give this talk. I could have said...pfft no try again
But I decided to take the talk because I knew that it might not be what I want but it might be something that someone else needed.
Thomas S. Monson spoke on “The Three R’s of Choice,” In the priesthood session.
The Right choice, the responsibility of choice and the results of choice.
We know that through the light of Christ man is given the knowledge to know good and evil. Many people argue that there is no good or evil or that it is simply determined by the society but are not really in existence. Mans actions are merely actions and ergo are not labeled as good or evil. We know this to not be true. For if it were…what would the point of the plan of salvation be? We know that through the gift of the holy ghost we can decipher what is righteous and what is wrong and the great reality of the war between good and evil.
President Monson goes on to explain that we were a part of the great council of heaven. How we chose this path, knowing full well the perils that lay within. But also having the knowledge that we would have a redeemer, Christ the Lord and that through him we could become clean of sins.
President Monson then quotes Lehi
“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.”2 UAdd a Note
Brethren, within the confines of whatever circumstances we find ourselves, we will always have the right to choose.
This got me thinking. It is so very true. Even in circumstances, when we “Have no choice” we do. For example. Say you are cornered and a lion is going to eat you. You could run away or you could just stay there and get eaten. The choice is there still. Or lets have a more realistic choice. Your friend proclaims that he/she will force you into something and that if you refuse he/she will no longer be your friend. First of all that’s not a good friend. You could say “I have no choice,” and go along with the will of your “Friend” or you could say no and risk the loss of that “friend” Anyway point being you always have a choice, no one can force you to do anything.
Monson continues in his talk and introduces the responsibility of choice.
He speaks of the Lord and his great love. Heavenly father did not just kick us off the clouds of heaven and say “good luck,” while we were tumbling down to earth. We have been provided with many tools that the Lord has given us for direction, such as the Holy Ghost, prayer, the scriptures, and a living prophet.
The adversary is strong now. Within media and world standards the phrases say “Everyone is doing it,” or “Morality is old and stupid,” “It’s so little it won’t even matter,” “We have pills to prevent that,” “what they don’t know won’t hurt them,” or “We are simply animals,” The world is full of these deceptions. We know that we are God’s Children and that we were meant to live for so much more.
Although in our journey we will encounter forks and turnings in the road, we simply cannot afford the luxury of a detour from which we may never return. Lucifer, that clever pied piper, plays his lilting melody and attracts the unsuspecting away from the safety of their chosen pathway, away from the counsel of loving parents, away from the security of God’s teachings. He seeks not just the so-called refuse of humanity; he seeks all of us, including the very elect of God. King David listened, wavered, and then followed and fell. So did Cain in an earlier era and Judas Iscariot in a later one. Lucifer’s methods are cunning; his victims, numerous.
We read of him in 2 Nephi: “Others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security.”4 “Others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell … until he grasps them with his awful chains.”5 “And thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.”6
So the phrase “and leadth them away carefully down to hell,”
It struck me. Satan is not an idiot nor are his angels. They do not just throw temptations at you and hope it works. The Devil and his angels are schemers. They learn of your weaknesses and then exploit them. And if you show resilience they do not just shy away, they keep hammering away. Poking around to find a flaw in your spiritual fort. Once they find the slightest crack they can start to seep in. Exposing you little by little with the enticing of sin. So small in fact that many people do not even notice how far they have fallen till it has damaged them.
We have the responsibility to make our own choices and we know which are right and which are wrong.
Monson makes a point that I very much liked.
He mentions that in Lewis Carrols Alice’s adventure in Wonder Land. She comes to a fork in the road and wonders which way to go. The Chesire cat replies ““That depends where you want to go. If you do not know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter which path you take.”
It is so true, if we had no knowledge of the gospel we would be pushed with the tide of life. But we do have a purpose and we know what it is.
Our prophet pleads with us to determine right here, right now, not to deviate from the path which will lead to our goal: eternal life with our Father in Heaven. Along that straight and true path there are other goals: missionary service, temple marriage, Church activity, scripture study, prayer, temple work. There are countless worthy goals to reach as we travel through life. Needed is our commitment to reach them.
As well as our hearts, if we just went through the motions the spiritual aspect would not be present. For spirituality is the sense of the heart. We must put our hearts into it if we want to get anything out of it.
Finally, he speaks of the results of choice. “All of our choices have consequences, some of which have little or nothing to do with our eternal salvation and others of which have everything to do with it.”
He speaks then on our choices, seeming so little can make such a huge difference. One drink or one click could determine a life of bondage or a life of freedom. Age, race or gender it does not matter we are all susceptible to erring from the straight and narrow.
Ok little detour I read pretty much the whole book of The Interesting Narrative if the Life of Olaudah Equiano. This book was written by a slave about himself, in the 1700s. He was taken from Africa and sold from hand to hand. He learns how to not only speak English but also to read and write. In his life he accepts the gospel of Christ. He studies the bible and expresses his great love for the words of God. Now despite all his afflictions. Being shipwrecked and nearly dying, being persecuted for being black slave and later a black freeman, being robbed, being beaten and suffering all manner of afflictions he turns his heart to god continually. He praises God and gives thanks to our loving father for his mercy. Now a lot of people say this man is lucky, but I say no. This man is righteous, from an early stage of life, before he even knew about Christ he held Virtue, honesty and purity to high value. In his afflictions he his saved, he is given to kind masters, he is protected from bullets, saved from sickness, and pits. Luck? I think not, this is the Lord’s hand. Now my point being that if anyone had the right to complain or hate god it would be a slave who suffered pains we could not understand. Yet in these dark hours this man chose God and was delivered time and time again. There was one incident where he speaks of his trials as a slave. He basically says “God gave me trials that I might humble myself before him and learn to serve him with my whole heart,”
Now back to President Monson
No temptation, no pressure, no enticing can overcome us unless we allow such. If we make the wrong choice, we have no one to blame but ourselves. President Brigham Young once expressed this truth by relating it to himself. Said he: “If Brother Brigham shall take a wrong track, and be shut out of the Kingdom of heaven, no person will be to blame but Brother Brigham. I am the only being in heaven, earth, or hell, that can be blamed.” He continued: “This will equally apply to every Latter-day Saint. Salvation is an individual operation.”8 UAdd a Note
The Apostle Paul has assured us, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”9
I testify that Choices do matter and it is in our choices and our trials that define us as who we are. I testify that through the Holy Ghost we can avoid temptations and that through Christ we can become clean again. These choices indeed do matter and do have consequences. I testify that we can overcome all sin and that the Lord eagerly waits for us to turn our hearts to him. That if we make righteous choices we can become perfected and live in heaven as God does.
For Gods are the freest of all beings because "all things are subject unto them..and they have all power" ( d&c 132:20)
Seek righteousness and make righteous choices. Your results will be Eternal Life in the Celestial glory, among God and in a state of Eternal Happiness
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/the-three-rs-of-choice?lang=eng
I dont remember when I gave this talk in Church lol
The power to become like God the crowning blessing of the Atonement, is integrally related to the power to be free, for in truth, the freest of all beings is God himself.
Gods are the freest of all beings because "all things are subject unto them..and they have all power" ( d&c 132:20)
Hey Im Tiffany Roper Im 18 and I was asked to give this talk about three weeks ago. I was given a choice to which I readily replied
“Sure,”
a particular brother looked at me astounded and said “We need more people like you.”
So I opened with that because my subject is choice. I could have chosen to not give this talk. I could have said...pfft no try again
But I decided to take the talk because I knew that it might not be what I want but it might be something that someone else needed.
Thomas S. Monson spoke on “The Three R’s of Choice,” In the priesthood session.
The Right choice, the responsibility of choice and the results of choice.
We know that through the light of Christ man is given the knowledge to know good and evil. Many people argue that there is no good or evil or that it is simply determined by the society but are not really in existence. Mans actions are merely actions and ergo are not labeled as good or evil. We know this to not be true. For if it were…what would the point of the plan of salvation be? We know that through the gift of the holy ghost we can decipher what is righteous and what is wrong and the great reality of the war between good and evil.
President Monson goes on to explain that we were a part of the great council of heaven. How we chose this path, knowing full well the perils that lay within. But also having the knowledge that we would have a redeemer, Christ the Lord and that through him we could become clean of sins.
President Monson then quotes Lehi
“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.”2 UAdd a Note
Brethren, within the confines of whatever circumstances we find ourselves, we will always have the right to choose.
This got me thinking. It is so very true. Even in circumstances, when we “Have no choice” we do. For example. Say you are cornered and a lion is going to eat you. You could run away or you could just stay there and get eaten. The choice is there still. Or lets have a more realistic choice. Your friend proclaims that he/she will force you into something and that if you refuse he/she will no longer be your friend. First of all that’s not a good friend. You could say “I have no choice,” and go along with the will of your “Friend” or you could say no and risk the loss of that “friend” Anyway point being you always have a choice, no one can force you to do anything.
Monson continues in his talk and introduces the responsibility of choice.
He speaks of the Lord and his great love. Heavenly father did not just kick us off the clouds of heaven and say “good luck,” while we were tumbling down to earth. We have been provided with many tools that the Lord has given us for direction, such as the Holy Ghost, prayer, the scriptures, and a living prophet.
The adversary is strong now. Within media and world standards the phrases say “Everyone is doing it,” or “Morality is old and stupid,” “It’s so little it won’t even matter,” “We have pills to prevent that,” “what they don’t know won’t hurt them,” or “We are simply animals,” The world is full of these deceptions. We know that we are God’s Children and that we were meant to live for so much more.
Although in our journey we will encounter forks and turnings in the road, we simply cannot afford the luxury of a detour from which we may never return. Lucifer, that clever pied piper, plays his lilting melody and attracts the unsuspecting away from the safety of their chosen pathway, away from the counsel of loving parents, away from the security of God’s teachings. He seeks not just the so-called refuse of humanity; he seeks all of us, including the very elect of God. King David listened, wavered, and then followed and fell. So did Cain in an earlier era and Judas Iscariot in a later one. Lucifer’s methods are cunning; his victims, numerous.
We read of him in 2 Nephi: “Others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security.”4 “Others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell … until he grasps them with his awful chains.”5 “And thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.”6
So the phrase “and leadth them away carefully down to hell,”
It struck me. Satan is not an idiot nor are his angels. They do not just throw temptations at you and hope it works. The Devil and his angels are schemers. They learn of your weaknesses and then exploit them. And if you show resilience they do not just shy away, they keep hammering away. Poking around to find a flaw in your spiritual fort. Once they find the slightest crack they can start to seep in. Exposing you little by little with the enticing of sin. So small in fact that many people do not even notice how far they have fallen till it has damaged them.
We have the responsibility to make our own choices and we know which are right and which are wrong.
Monson makes a point that I very much liked.
He mentions that in Lewis Carrols Alice’s adventure in Wonder Land. She comes to a fork in the road and wonders which way to go. The Chesire cat replies ““That depends where you want to go. If you do not know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter which path you take.”
It is so true, if we had no knowledge of the gospel we would be pushed with the tide of life. But we do have a purpose and we know what it is.
Our prophet pleads with us to determine right here, right now, not to deviate from the path which will lead to our goal: eternal life with our Father in Heaven. Along that straight and true path there are other goals: missionary service, temple marriage, Church activity, scripture study, prayer, temple work. There are countless worthy goals to reach as we travel through life. Needed is our commitment to reach them.
As well as our hearts, if we just went through the motions the spiritual aspect would not be present. For spirituality is the sense of the heart. We must put our hearts into it if we want to get anything out of it.
Finally, he speaks of the results of choice. “All of our choices have consequences, some of which have little or nothing to do with our eternal salvation and others of which have everything to do with it.”
He speaks then on our choices, seeming so little can make such a huge difference. One drink or one click could determine a life of bondage or a life of freedom. Age, race or gender it does not matter we are all susceptible to erring from the straight and narrow.
Ok little detour I read pretty much the whole book of The Interesting Narrative if the Life of Olaudah Equiano. This book was written by a slave about himself, in the 1700s. He was taken from Africa and sold from hand to hand. He learns how to not only speak English but also to read and write. In his life he accepts the gospel of Christ. He studies the bible and expresses his great love for the words of God. Now despite all his afflictions. Being shipwrecked and nearly dying, being persecuted for being black slave and later a black freeman, being robbed, being beaten and suffering all manner of afflictions he turns his heart to god continually. He praises God and gives thanks to our loving father for his mercy. Now a lot of people say this man is lucky, but I say no. This man is righteous, from an early stage of life, before he even knew about Christ he held Virtue, honesty and purity to high value. In his afflictions he his saved, he is given to kind masters, he is protected from bullets, saved from sickness, and pits. Luck? I think not, this is the Lord’s hand. Now my point being that if anyone had the right to complain or hate god it would be a slave who suffered pains we could not understand. Yet in these dark hours this man chose God and was delivered time and time again. There was one incident where he speaks of his trials as a slave. He basically says “God gave me trials that I might humble myself before him and learn to serve him with my whole heart,”
Now back to President Monson
No temptation, no pressure, no enticing can overcome us unless we allow such. If we make the wrong choice, we have no one to blame but ourselves. President Brigham Young once expressed this truth by relating it to himself. Said he: “If Brother Brigham shall take a wrong track, and be shut out of the Kingdom of heaven, no person will be to blame but Brother Brigham. I am the only being in heaven, earth, or hell, that can be blamed.” He continued: “This will equally apply to every Latter-day Saint. Salvation is an individual operation.”8 UAdd a Note
The Apostle Paul has assured us, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”9
I testify that Choices do matter and it is in our choices and our trials that define us as who we are. I testify that through the Holy Ghost we can avoid temptations and that through Christ we can become clean again. These choices indeed do matter and do have consequences. I testify that we can overcome all sin and that the Lord eagerly waits for us to turn our hearts to him. That if we make righteous choices we can become perfected and live in heaven as God does.
For Gods are the freest of all beings because "all things are subject unto them..and they have all power" ( d&c 132:20)
Seek righteousness and make righteous choices. Your results will be Eternal Life in the Celestial glory, among God and in a state of Eternal Happiness
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen
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