Reflections of a True Millennial

I'm sure you've seen articles and such that claim social networking is making us less social. And there is truth in that, but only if it has consumed you. I'll talk more about that at the end. I counter, that social networking has made us more social. Let me give you a few examples. There's this kid who lives in Nebraska, he's a friend of a friend. I was introduced to him on Skype, and now we're really good friends. Is that anti-social? There's this girl, she used to live her until not long ago. I met her in person, but she lives upstate. Is talking to her on Facebook anti-social? You see, when used properly, these social networking outlets can make you more social! I've met more friends and talked with so many great friends through things such as Facebook and texting. But there is a catch, these very social activities become anti-social if you become addicted to them. I'll be the first to admit that I am on Facebook all day long, and that's a re

So today is my Birthday. A birthday is traditionally a day to celebrate the day that one came into the world, and celebrate their life ever since. But I don't think today should be a day to celebrate me in particular, because I wouldn't be me without all those that have touched my life. Without my family, friends, and the Church, I would not be me. So today should be a day to celebrate those three things. All of these have shaped who I really am, I'm a piece of each of them. So on this day in July, I want to thank my friends and family and my Heavenly Father. They are really who I am because really we all make each other. And without those who have touched my life, I wouldn't be anywhere. So thank you.

So one of my friends told me that my blog makes her want to change the world. So I replied and said, so go change it. Well actually changing the world seems like a broad topic that could never be covered in a blog post, and I probably won’t explain it very well, but here we go. So when thinking this over, the saying came to my mind, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” The world isn’t exactly the best place, right? Well don’t lament over the problems of the world and fall into a pit of despair, rather live the way you know you should live. Do the things that you wish the world did. As a Latter-day Saint youth, and possibly the only one in your school or neighborhood, people look up to you. If you do certain things, other people will begin to follow and change themselves. They can see your happiness and will try to imitate that. So maybe the goal isn’t to change the entire world, but to simply change yourself. Become aligned with the Lord’s standards, and your influence can cha

You can do anything you want, you can be anything you want. Impossible is not a word to describe what you want to do. With faith, nothing can hold you back. Your dreams can be realized no matter what they entail. Faith in the Lord provides His assistance, and to Him anything is possible. I think impossible is actually two words, “I’m possible.” I’m here and I’m possible. I’m a complex being; my body operates many procedures to keep me alive. I’m possible, so anything that I desire is possible. I could change the world, change others, change myself, or do anything in my desires. So next time you are faced with a daunting task, remember that it’s not impossible because “I’m possible.” If impossibility restricted everyone, the amazing world we have today would not be here. I’m possible and nothing is impossible. (Title from "What Faith can Do" by Scott Krippayne http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY6vXaWx8S4)

This past week I have had the opportunity to sit in a car for 1400 miles. Not exactly what I would call fun, but it had to be done. So after 1400 miles the car stopped in Texas. Gazing out the window and walking around Texas really shows you the beauty of the earth that God has created for us. And He hasn't just created this earth, He created the entire universe. All the stars in the sky, the sun, the moon, the planets, everything. He created it all. So why does He care about us? How does He know us? In Moses 1:39 it says "For behold, this is my work and my glory- to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." He uses all of His efforts to save us because He loves us. We are literally His children. Your parents would do anything to assist you, and so would Heavenly Father. So really out of all the beauty He has created, He cares most about you. So don't forget your divine importance to God. He'll never give up on you, so never give up on Him in life.

            It seems like at this time in history, it’s the worst it could ever be. Immorality is laced into almost every source of entertainment, and living your standards is harder than ever. Sometimes it just feels like the whole world is going against you. But you know what? I wouldn’t want to live in any other time. The youth of the world were chosen to come at this time; it’s no accident. But sometimes you feel like you’re dirt, maybe even less than dirt. Why would God save you for this time? Because you’re not dirt! The capacity of your faith is tremendous. The huge amount of sin and evil around you calls for an equally large amount of faith, and you came to the earth at this time because you can handle it. When we gathered at EFY this past week, our session director complimented our tremendous faith. Our area is one of the roughest places to live righteously, our schools have a handful of Mormons, and morals are hard to find. But because we are faced with such hardships, we hav

This week has been the best week of my entire life. Especially for Youth 2011 has been incredible. I feel like I can take on anything the world throws at me. The immense power of Heavenly Father has been gratified in my mind and I feel as if with Him, I can do anything. And it's true, with Him I can do anything. The slogan of EFY this year was "Believe. Hope. Endure." Notice how these three words are verbs. Going to EFY wasn't only for learning about the Gospel for a week, it was for learning how to take action and live the Gospel every single day of your life. Not just on Sundays, not just while you're with your friends from Church, but every single day. So I'm going to break down this simple phrase and talk about each one of these words. Believe If you don't believe, there's no point in living the Lord's way. Belief is key to righteousness. Without it, you wouldn't even care about the Gospel. So believe. It's as simple as that. It'

Today I had the opportunity to go to the Temple and do baptisms for the dead. I've been many times, considering the fact that it is over 200 miles away, so in some visits the Spirit has not been felt as strongly. In the Temple, there can be a lot of waiting around with seemingly nothing to do, and the time seems trivial. However, today I put this time to use. Instead of sitting around or talking with friends I decided to open up the Book of Mormon and read some chapters that I find special and important. This included 3 Nephi 27 and Alma 38, two chapters that I hold dear for various reason. The spirit that fills the Temple enlightened my mind with new understanding and conviction to hold true to the teachings of the Lord. The peace that came because of this simple reading has really brightened my day and strengthened my armor of righteousness. I'm not a perfect person, I have my struggles whether you can see them or not, so this Spirit felt today has helped me. So I challenge y

Yo yo, so two of my friends have started some pretty awesome blogs that you probably should check out! They are at the following links: http://justanother-andres1.blogspot.com/ http://ashleyswonders.blogspot.com/ Yeah they are pretty awesome and I like some of their writing techniques, so check them out when you can!

A key aspect of being happy is making others happy. And what better way to do that than to serve others? When you serve others you feel good about what you're doing. You're giving up your own time to help someone in need. Service is essential! It is often thought of as boring or old-fashioned, but service can be fun! If you love to sing or play music, write someone a song. If your writing is spectacular, write a heartfelt note to those you love. If you love to make things, use your abilities to make something for a friend. Whatever it is that you're doing, do it with love. Service can lift the spirits of others and yourself. In the Lord's ministry on earth he stated that the second commandment was to love your fellow man as yourself.  Treat everyone with kindness and love, just as the Savior would. That is a great act of service. Some people in the world have unforeseen trials and tragedies, some have very apparent trials. Either way, a simple act of love would surely b

I feel like I've written about this before. Maybe I did in an alternate universe and I only subconsciously remember it. Or maybe it's just because all this inspirational stuff is pretty similar. Or maybe I'm just crazy. Any way, I'm writing about this. As a lowly freshman in the beginning of the year, I was bored during Spanish (as usual) and started looking around the room. On the top right corner of the whiteboard, was a tiny piece of paper that looked as if it was about to fall down. On it was typed "Be yourself, everyone else is taken."So that's my simple message for this day. Be yourself. God gave you your talents and personality for a reason. So don't try to copy anyone else. Don't try to fit yourself into what society thinks you should be. Don't care what people think about you, be yourself. Express yourself in your own way and stand out. If someone doesn't like who you really are, they're not truly your friend. Someone will act

You live in America, you live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. You have the legacy of a nation that defies boundaries and sets their own limits. We set the standard that others try to live up to. You have freedom beyond imagination. Anyone anywhere has the opportunity to be whatever they want and do whatever they want. Men and women risk their own lives just to protect this land. People come together to celebrate this land like no other. From all over the world, thousands come to this land. Think of the blessing you have by just living here! You have limitless possibilites in this land. So use your opportunities to the best of your ability. Be brave, be bold, be free. Happy Independence day.

I don't really know what to write today, but I feel like I should write. Today is one of those days. I'm tired and as a result a few things started to go wrong and then a lot of things seemed to not be going my way. I'm sure you've all felt a day such as this, and I have no qualification to be complaining, my life is great. I have all the world to be thankful for and so do you. While some of you have been faced with seemingly insurmountable trials of despair, there always is a bright side. You always have your family, thanks to the Temple. Even if you cannot see them because they no longer reside in their body, someday you will again. Christ's resurrection is a gift to all, regardless of who you are. Everyone of you will be resurrected, and through the Temple ordinances you can live with your family again. Another thing to rejoice in is your friends. Maybe you're the coolest kid at school and you're friends with everyone. Maybe you only have a few good frien

So if you know me you probably know that I went backpacking in the mountains this week. Or maybe you don't. Oh well. Anyways, this post is about the parallels of that adventure with life! Every time you hit the trail and started walking you had to lift up your heavy pack and pull it onto your shoulders. This seemingly simple task is actually very strenuous. In life its often difficult to start doing the right things and being who you want to be. Back to this hiking analogy, once you put your pack on and start walking it isn't as hard. You simply put one step in front of the other, just like your parents taught you. So in life, after you get on the path of righteousness, its not as hard. You begin to find others to support you and follow the teachings of your parents. Anyway, a lot of backpacking trails are very narrow (not so straight, but don't hate on the analogy) and rocky. To keep trekking along safely it helps to look at the path in front of you and observe the terrain