FINALLY...FINALS

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FINALS

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One Fine Day...

 

Set Up for Success

"Baptism is a precious gift from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus Christ repentance, and baptism, we are cleansed of our sins, become members of the Lord’s Church, and qualify to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. We make sacred promises to Heavenly Father, and He promises us blessings in return. As you prayerfully read the scriptures on this poster, you will learn about these promises, or covenants."

www.lds.org

Last night Sister Crook and I got to witness a baptism of one of the people we have been teaching. It was a BEAUTIFUL event. It was so neat to see him progress and enter the "gate" of baptism because HE had PRAYED and found out for himself. 

While Sister Crook and I were teaching him, we would come home at night and just say this is too easy, teaching people CAN NOT be this easy... As we continued to teach him, all we could think was when is something going to go wrong. To our surprise, everything went smooth. He was able to go through the steps and learn what he needed to come closer to Christ.

As Sister Crook and I got into the car, I said we just need to say a prayer of gratitude. As we prayed and thanked Heavenly Father, I realized something new I had learned. That missionary work is easy, because the message we are sharing is TRUE. Heavenly Father wants us to succeed; he has not set us up to fail!

www.mormon.org

www.lds.org

(C)LV2011

Behind Enemy Lines

Behind Enemy Lines!

“I say again that youth today are being raised in enemy territory with a declining standard of morality.”

-Boyd K. Packer

Halloween 2010

I loved the talk Counsel to the youth that Elder Packer of the quorum of the 12 apostles gave in this last General Conference. He spoke to the youth! He talked about how the youth are being raised in enemy territory, and honestly that is the best way to describe it. Youth, you are behind enemy lines. There is so much sleaze around us in this world, that we start out on the wrong side. In the talk he gave a great story about listening to the Holy Ghost. I think that is one of greatest tools as we go out into battle in enemy territory. I know that as we continue to read the Book of Mormon, Pray, attend Seminary, and go to Church, it will only act as ammo for the Holy Ghost to work with us. Youth, you have the chance to be in this dangerous territory, use it to your advantage. It is time to suit up for battle and win :]

“If you are slipping into things that you should not slip into or if you are associating with people who are pulling you away in the wrong direction, that is the time to assert your independence, your agency. Listen to the voice of the Spirit, and you will not be led astray.”

-Boyd K. Packer

Counsel to Youth by Elder Boyd K. Packer

READ ME :{

CLV(c)2011

www.mormon.org

The Youth's Webpage

LINCOLN LOGS

Lincoln Logs

As a child, I played a lot with Lincoln Logs. My brother Max and I would sit and play for hours. Unfortunately it would always end up with us throwing the logs at each other , its been a good memory. This past Christmas, my nephew received some LINCOLN LOGS. I decided to relive some of my childhood and play with him. I was so impressed with how he quickly caught on to building these strong log houses. At first he was just putting pieces together, but by the end he was building houses that could withstand our attacks. When I asked Hayes why he had built the house so strong he said that it was to withstand the storms! That's when I had Helamen 5:12 from the Book of Mormon pop into my head. Hayes taught me, that I need to build MY foundation strong so that when storms come my foundation will stand still. As we go through our life we are going to have many storms and sometimes we are going to break down. However the STRONGER we make our foundation the longer we will last. There are many things you have to do to make a little log house strong...and they are many things we have to do to make our testimony strong. Read the Book of Mormon, and pray about it. The Book of Mormon is ONE thing that will give you a strong foundation...don't believe me? Try it out!!!

  

“And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”

-Helamen 5:12

WHAT MAKES YOUR FOUNDATION STRONG?!?!?

CLV(C) 2011

www.mormon.org

Hot Yoga

Be Still

“Be still and know that I am God.”

(D&C 101:16)

Today, my companion and I were talking about the act of being still. I thought to myself, what does that even mean? We came up with many different thoughts, maybe not moving, not speaking, not breathing, pondering or completely clearing our minds. I thought back to my days of doing Bikram yoga or hot yoga. I remembered the pose called the Savasana. It is the pose you do after an intense yoga move so that your body can rest. It was my favorite one; weirdly it was the most challenging. You had to lie completely STILL with your hands by your side and you were to clear your minds completely. You had to BE STILL.  After thinking of that pose, I realized why it is so important that we need to "BE STILL!" It is so we can rest and take in all of the good things. If we are always moving then we are missing out on things Heavenly Father wants to show us.  

After thinking of that pose, I realized why it is so important that we need to "BE STILL!" It is so we can rest and take in all of the good things. If we are always moving then we are missing out on things Heavenly Father wants to show us. About three weeks ago my companion and I were driving around trying to visit people. We were pretty upset because all of our appointments fell through. As I sat in the car, I pulled out a sheet with names on it from about two years ago. I just sat and looked out the window, thinking what are we to do. Instead of talking we just sat there and were still and it felt right, like we were suppose to wait. After about 10 minutes, I pointed to two names and said we must see them. 

 After trying to see the first lady, we realized she had moved. Upset again, we stood still. The only thought we both had was go to the next house. We wanted to continue but everything was fighting against us. I said a silent prayer, asking that we would have a miracle. We got back in the car and drove to the next trailer. There was a lady waiting outside, she waved at us and the first thing she said to us was..."I just prayed and asked for someone to help me stop smoking and you showed up!" We told her we were trying to visit another lady, she asked her name and she said "Oh that's my daughter." That was the first time I realized how important standing still is. We were able to help two families that day because we stood still. When we stand still we can listen to the Holy Ghost and he can guide us. 

CLV(C)2011

www.mormon.org

On a plane, in a train, or in the rain...

Be Prayerful

“You cannot do it alone.”

-President Hinckley

Why is it, that in life, we make the easiest things the hardest things? Prayer is one of those easy things. We can pray on a plane, in a train, or in the rain. We pray so that we can develop a relationship with our Heavenly Father. When my companion and I teach prayer, we describe it as a relationship with one of our best friends.

 Now think about your best friend....

*you can tell them anything

*they are who you go to when you need to talk

*they are who help you with your problems

* you can always go to them and ask for a favor

*we always thank them for the things they do for us

*we are continually building a relationship with them

My Albanian District :]

That is what our Heavenly Father is there for. If we were to treat it just like talking to a friend, we would want to do it all of the time. I learned a lot about prayer while in the Mission Training Center. In the midst of a reassignment from Albania, I had to pray to make sure I was supposed to continue. They had told me it might be better for my health to call it quits... I knew it was not really a decision I could make without turning to prayer. Those many days I went without a mission call i did not just say prayers, but i prayed. I poured my heart and soul out as if I was talking to my best friend. After saying a prayer, I would just sit and listen to the promptings that would come from the Holy Ghost. I can tell you prayer became easy, my answer had come. I knew I needed to continue no matter where I was called, and it would still be hard, but my answer was to just go forward and keep praying.... All I can say is that through that entire experience we became best friends. 

Motra Reynolds, Motra Vati, Motra Read

“You need His help, and you know that you need His help. You cannot do it alone. You will come to realize that and recognize that more and more as the years pass. So live that in good conscience you can speak with the Lord. Get on your knees and thank Him for His goodness to you and express to Him the righteous desires of your hearts. The miracle of it all is that He hears. He responds. He answers not always as we might wish He would answer, but there is no question in my mind that He answers.”

-President Hinckley

http://lds.org/churchmagazines/2001/Jan2001Ensign.pdf

CLV(C)

True Religion....it’s in my genes

Be True 

Peter Whitmer Farm

"You who are members of this Church must have a loyalty to it. This is your church. You have as great a responsibility in your sphere of action as I have in my sphere of action. It belongs to you just as it belongs to me. You have embraced its gospel. You have taken upon yourselves a covenant in the waters of baptism."

-President Hinckley

 

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints. I have learned the valuable lesson of being true to the church that I belong to. I remember one of my first weeks in High School, a boy had asked me about Mormon's. I decided to tell him all of the negative things that I thought about the people in it. Inside I could feel my heart drop, but was so angry at the people. Earlier that week, I had been greatly offended and as a 15 year old I took it pretty personal. So I decided to take it out on the church. I had easily forgotten that the people in the church are not perfect but the organization is and so was Heavenly Fathers love for me. I can tell you that to this day I regret not standing up for my beliefs. Now as I serve in the sacred sites of Palmyra New York, I get to bear testimony of the church and its organization. I get to stand in the top of the Peter Whitmer home where the first church meeting was held on April 6, 1830 and tell how I came to know that the church was true. At the end of every tour, I stop and say a prayer, thanking my Heavenly Father for letting me come here and testify of the truth, I know that I can not make up for the things of my past, but I can do my best now.

Through out my youth I found it very hard to get along with members of the church. It was stuck in my mind that Mormons, as a whole, were judgmental people and that I did not fit into their category. As a teenager those are pretty common feelings. I decided to do whatever I wanted to do. This included not reading my scriptures. It was not until my second year at Utah State that I decided to read the scriptures. My best friend had started to meet with the missionaries and they asked her to read the Book of Mormon. So I decided to secretly accept that challenge, that I had never before conquered. I finished it for the first time on my 20th birthday. I knelt down and prayed, and received the perfect birthday present, an answer. It was true, and I was at peace. I had come to know for myself that the things in the Book of Mormon were for me. I could see within myself a change for the better. I realized it has nothing to do with people in the church but things I gain from the church. Now I get my second chance to be true. I get to share my testimony of the Book of Mormon and how it changed my life and saved me. I can tell you what it is like to not have it in your life as the corner stone, and it is something you do not need to experience. Last week I got to go to the Hill Cumorah where the plates were found, and as I stood in the middle of the Forrest, I heard a whisper just as I did on my  20th birthday, Its all true...

"Be true to your own convictions. You know what
is right, and you know what is wrong. You know
when you are doing the proper thing. You know
when you are giving strength to the right cause.
Be loyal. Be faithful. Be true, my beloved associates
in this great kingdom"

-President Hinckley 

www.mormon.org

http://lds.org/churchmagazines/2001/Jan2001Ensign.pdf

CLV(C)

TIME OUT....I met an Albanian

Kam takuar një shqiptar!!!

I just want to take a time of from the FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE YOUTH posts to inform you I met an Albanian. I prayed for two weeks straight that I would meet at least once. I am here to tell you that prayer works. That the VERY last night of pageant at 9:05 p.m. right before it started my Site Director came up to me and asked me if I would like to meet an Albanian. I replied with "OF COURSE I DO!!!!" I was able to talk to him for about 10 minuets in Albanian. Seriously, it was a great lesson of prayer. That when we do ask we receive, when we do everything in our power! I know that this church is true, and that

I AM A DAUGHTER OF GOD

and that is all that matters....

Finally to New York!

I finally left the Missionary Training Center this past week to begin my mission in Rochester New York, Albanian Speaking. I entered the MTC on Jan. 19, 2011 with my little brother Max (Elder Vaterlaus). We both recieved our calls at the same time and entered the MTC the same day. He is currently serving in Bahia Blanca Argentina! In the MTC he learned Spanish and I learned Albanian. It is so crazy how the Lord KNOWS where we need to go on our missions when we choose to serve. I was orginaly called to serve in the Tirana Albania mission, but because of medical issues I was no longer able to leave the country. I was reassigned to NY. I was so excited! When you get a mission call from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints everyone around you guesses where your going to go. I guessed New York. I was SCHOCKED when I saw Albanian, and was a little worried how I would make it through, however I knew I could trust in the Lord to get me through. In the MTC I got really sick again and the Doctor's decided I could no longer serve outside the country. So my call was sent in again. I went for two weeks with out a mission call in the MTC. It was a LONG two weeks but because of prayer and the atonement I made it through. The MTC president sat me down when he had my new call, he asked me where I thought I was going, and told him I am going to New York, right!? He was very shaken and said how did you know!? I have always felt like the Lord needed me to serve in NY. I think I just needed to learn Albanian first, and good thing I did, I have already met an Albanian. I know that the Lord has a plan for each of us and that if we TRUST in him that is when things work out. I am so grateful for the trials I recieve to build my OWN testimony, and to KNOW through PRAYER and reading the Book of Mormon that this church is true. As I have always said "I do what I want", I am doing what I want right now in life and loving it!