tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35757514910680705682024-02-19T07:25:34.465-08:00A Thomas or a Paul?"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-28455012105342230692014-10-03T22:26:00.003-07:002014-10-03T22:31:15.164-07:00Life Nowadays <span style="font-family: inherit;">I haven't blogged in a long time. Many things have changed in the past couple months. If you don't have time to read the rest of this blog, here's a brief summary. I'm happier than I have been in years. In fact, I don't remember the last time I felt less stress and more at peace with life. Life is good. Read on for some details. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the end of the summer, I interviewed with UVU to be an adjunct faculty member in their ESL program. I went to the interview and did very well, but I was initially informed that they did not have a position for me. I felt somewhat disappointed, but something told me to just wait. The day after the director indicated that he didn't have a position for me, he emailed me desperate for teachers in one of three courses. I decided to take their highest level listening and speaking class. It's been a great experience to teach these six upper-level students. Along with experimenting with various techniques and procedures in the classroom, I feel like I have honed my teaching skills in many ways. Teachers become better by teaching. It's not without its issues, but I have enjoyed getting to know students from all of the world in such an intimate setting. The pay is excellent and I look forward to continuing to work with these students throughout the semester.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am also a TA for my professor on campus. He's a great professor to work for and I have the opportunity to work on my thesis with him as well. I help him with his two classes. One is an introduction to human language. This class has provided me with lots of opportunities to informally teach writing. It's always surprising to see how people don't proofread their writing carefully. The other class is a course about teaching reading, writing, and vocabulary. I <i>love </i>being able to sit in on this class for the second time. I have had a variety of this course twice, but this time I am able to focus on the content and assist others in learning the content. I love vocabulary research, but I'm also falling in love with research issues surrounding L2 literacy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am also a tutor at the ELC and I run the English for Lunch program. I love being able to work in such a great English language learning context! It has taught me what makes a good intensive English program. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I think many people saw how I was struggling early in the summer. I posted cryptic statuses on Facebook. I wasn't acting like myself. A couple of weeks before life became really difficult in April, I posted about revelation and dew, "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">When we find dew on the grass in the morning, we rarely think about how it appeared. It has simply appeared overnight, making the grass and flowers slightly damp. Likewise, revelation has appeared to me in the most obscure ways. I have felt that God is guiding my path to make difficult decisions." I struggled for quite some time before things started to look up again. The revelation continues to appear like dew. Over the past several weeks, I have reflected on my difficult times. I remember feeling empty inside and like something was missing from my life. I cried almost daily, longing for peace and comfort that I thought I would never have.<br /><br />Why was I led down a path that was so painful? I honestly believe that some of the greatest beauty in this life comes from the greatest pain. The scars have had months to heal and I feel at peace once again. I wouldn't trade my experiences. I needed those experiences to know what I wanted and to know how I can be happy. I demonstrated bravery and authenticity. From these trying times, I learned that anything worthwhile in life must be sought out and (typically) fought for. I believe that through my pain and trials, I am in a place now that I can truly say I am happy. Forgiveness is a powerful force that can change everything. I hold no grudges and I am excited to continue to move forward, happy and satisfied. </span></span>Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-6159414655505607012014-06-11T23:41:00.001-07:002014-06-11T23:41:17.454-07:00Fresh Courage TakeThe summer after my junior year I began taking piano lessons with a well-known piano teacher in our community. She had completed a master's and PHd in choral conducting and was highly regarded for training many of the finest pianists in the state. Every time I went to my lessons with her, I was greeted with her warm smile and a hearty laugh. Bonnie inspired me in so many ways. She was dedicated to her faith. She frequently quoted her favorite scriptures, including 2nd Nephi 31:20. She would always remind me that we needed to just press forward with steadfast faith in Christ. Beyond her love for the gospel and the scriptures, she loved the spiritual beauty found in music.<br />
<br />After studying with her for some time, I told her that I wanted to learn a piece to play in sacrament meeting. I brought several pieces that I thought I would like to work on, but none of them seemed exactly right. After playing one piece that she was not particularly thrilled with, she told me to wait while she went to find a piece of music that she thought might be a good choice. When she came back to the piano, she brought back several large sheets of worn paper. I read the title, "Come, Come Ye Saints: Favorite Mormon Hymn."<br />
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What was the story behind this hand-written piece of music? When Bonnie was a little girl growing up in Star Valley, Wyoming, she had a piano teacher come into the valley every so often to teach students. Bonnie's family couldn't afford to pay for lessons, but her mother would always cook him a big meal to make it worth his time. This teacher saw great talent in Bonnie, his star pupil. When she was a 10 years old, he arranged this piece for her. <br />
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I spent several weeks working on the piece. The technical difficulty was compounded by the difficulty of reading a hand-written piece of music. Bonnie coached me to feel the emotional impact of the piece and to make others feel it as well. She asked me to remember the suffering of those courageous pioneers who crossed the plains, leaving behind so much. Some left behind the comforts of home. Others left behind beloved family and friends. I thought of the story of one of my ancestors who, upon arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, began to cry and told her mother that she wanted to return to Philadelphia. <br />
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Today I have been reflecting on the announcement that John Dehlin, a prominent Mormon LGBT ally and founder of Mormon Stories, along with Kate Kelly, one of the founders of Ordain Women, have both been summoned for possible disciplinary action. My friend texted me the news. After I read the article in the New York Times, I sat in my car and held back tears. How could my Church be pushing out people that are trying to make it more comfortable for people like me? John Dehlin asks tough questions about Mormon history and culture. Kate Kelly has asked questions about the nature of the priesthood and women's roles in the Church. I think of them, and all my other less-traditional Mormon friends, as my brothers and sisters in the gospel. These are people that I need in the Church. I need people who ask the questions that others fear to ask. I need the people who dare to stand up for what they believe in. <br /><br />Many of us feel hurt. Many of us feel betrayed. Some of us even feel angry. As I have reflected on what to say in light of this particular circumstance, my mind continues to return to the words of that "Favorite Mormon Hymn" that I have played on many occasions. <br />
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<i>Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?<br />
'Tis not so; all is right.<br />
Why should we think to earn a great reward<br />
If we now shun the fight?<br />
Gird up your loins; <b>fresh courage take</b>.<br />
Our God will never us forsake;<br />
And soon we'll have this tale to tell-<br />
All is well! All is well!</i><br />
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Kate and John have done courageous things. They left behind the comforts of a traditional Mormon existence to ask difficult questions. Like our Mormon <span>forebears</span>, they left behind their "Philadelphia" and embraced a dangerous journey. As they have began to sojourn through the wilderness, they have encountered difficulties. Their actions have not always been approved by all the members of our faith. I believe, however, that they have attempted to follow the Spirit and the will of Our Heavenly Parents for them as they have worked to encourage positive changes and open dialogue. No matter the outcome, I think that both John and Kate would encourage us to "Gird up our loins; fresh courage take." Their vision of an inclusive Mormonism does not die if they are excommunicated. Their hopes for a more welcoming place for those who doubt or fear are not in vain if they are no longer members of record. There are those among us who hope for the Church that we love. There are those of us who will fight for <i>our </i>Church. And while I hope and pray that they are allowed to stay in the Church, if that is what they desire, I also know that their vision cannot and, indeed, will not be forgotten. <br /><br />I cannot say what it means to "gird up our loins" or "fresh courage take." For some people who have heard this news, they might be led out of the Church. For others, they might distance themselves from the Church. I respect the journeys of those individuals and realize that they are "girding up their loins" and showing courage. Their respective journeys are to be respected and validated. I hope that these individuals find the peace that they seek. <br />
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As an adult, the Church has never been easy for me. As I have struggled to reconcile my personal beliefs and testimony with the framework of the Church, I have felt a great deal of pain. And just when I think that the pain will end, more pain seems to follow. This painful event, along with several other happenings in the past week, have made me reflect on my relationship with Mormonism. What can I do to follow the advice in this beloved Mormon hymn? Why do Our Heavenly Parents keep telling me to forgive and have patience? While I cannot speak for others (and I will not attempt to do so), I know what I must do to do what Our Heavenly Parents want. I can't give up on my faith because of the imperfections of our leaders who have decided to take these actions. I can't retreat because it hurts right now. This is the place where I can build love. Beyond this calling I feel that I have received, I have a deep testimony of Our Heavenly Parents and of Their plan for us. I have faith in the power of our Mormon community to help and heal one another. John and Kate have a vision for Mormonism. I am not about to let their vision for Mormonism die. And so, like my Mormon pioneer ancestors, I am going to gird up my loins and take that fresh courage and press forward, with steadfast faith in Our Heavenly Parents. <br />
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So, John and Kate and all those hurt, angered, or devastated by this news, remember what our ancestors said. Fresh courage take, our God will <i>never </i>us forsake. And neither will I. Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-37823096444109140832014-05-16T10:47:00.000-07:002014-05-16T10:47:05.494-07:00My People were Mormon PioneersI have been thinking for the past two weeks what I should blog about. I have had several ideas for a blog. At first, I thought of talking about the time when I seriously bruised my fingernail when a brick fell on my finger. I thought of talking about tenebrism. I also toyed with the idea of talking about pain or suffering or some other issue that I have confronted in my life recently. And even as I write this post, I am not sure what this post will end up being about. <div>
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A couple weeks ago when I was going through some intense emotional conflict, I listened to a Mormon Stories podcast by Carol Lynn Pearson. The same week, I devoured <i>No More Goodbyes. </i>As Carol Lynn was talking about her experiences in the Church with John Dehlin, she read a poem that she wrote about her Mormon heritage. </div>
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"My people were Mormon pioneers.<br />
Is the blood still good?<br />
They stood in awe as truth<br />
Flew by like a dove<br />
And dropped a feather in the West.<br />
Where truth flies you follow<br />
If you are a pioneer.<br />
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I have searched the skies<br />
And now and then<br />
Another feather has fallen.<br />
I have packed the handcart again<br />
Packed it with the precious things<br />
And thrown away the rest.<br />
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I will sing by the fires at night<br />
Out there on uncharted ground<br />
Where I am my own captain of tens<br />
Where I blow the bugle<br />
Bring myself to morning prayer<br />
Map out the miles<br />
And never know when or where<br />
Or if at all I will finally say,<br />
“This is the place,”<br />
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I face the plains<br />
On a good day for walking.<br />
The sun rises<br />
And the mist clears.<br />
I will be all right:<br />
My people were Mormon Pioneers."</div>
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As the past month has brought so many changes, I find myself returning to this poem. <i>What does it mean that I will be all right? </i></div>
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I think of my own pioneer ancestors. I think of the little girl who told her mother that she wanted to return to Philadelphia. I can imagine myself saying the same thing if I had come from the East to the barren Salt Lake Valley. I think of my father's ancestors who came after their conversion in Germany. Per the family lore, my great-grandmother was at the grave of one of her children that she had recently buried. The missionaries approached her and taught her that she could see her child again. I don't know how true this story is, but I do know that they were converted and that they traveled to Utah, leaving behind their home to gather with the other Mormon pioneers in the valley. </div>
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My ancestors were tough. They didn't give up in the face of adversity because they followed their hearts. I imagine that many of them felt frustrated or confused. I think a lot of them were probably stubborn and impatient. Some of them may have gotten too emotionally involved in the issues of those around them. Others may have loved too deeply. I imagine some saw their hearts broken by harsh words of fellow Saints and by others that they love. As I describe my ancestors, I realize that I am just like them. I'm stubborn and brokenhearted. I get very emotionally involved in the issues of those around me. And I think we all get frustrated or confused. Somehow my ancestors inspire me to keep trying. As they kept trying, everything worked out okay for them. Maybe everything will work out all right for me. </div>
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"I have searched the skies/ And now and then / Another feather has fallen" <i>What feather has fallen? What am I seeking? </i>The feather that has fallen is perhaps much like the dew from heaven that I have mentioned in several posts. It seems like nowadays I am seeking a feather just like how my ancestors sought one in the West. Where will my feather fall? I don't know if I feel ready to pack a handcart or to travel on uncharted ground. Being a pioneer is a scary proposition. I don't know if I like charting new destinations or traveling in terrain that is full of the unknown. In the past four years at BYU, I have experienced many periods of heartache and sadness, but I feel like it is in all in search of that feather. As I have tried to search for that feather (perhaps my identity or sense of belonging?), many experiences have scarred me and shaped me. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Our experiences are valuable. And as we search for that feather, we will discover more about ourselves than we could ever imagine. </div>
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And as I continue to search for that feather, I can rest assured because, "My people were Mormon pioneers." </div>
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Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-44834717186329059932014-04-27T19:15:00.000-07:002014-04-27T19:15:46.236-07:00On ThomasA few weeks ago, I wrote about revelation, likening it to the appearance of dew on the grass. Dew appears gradually, almost imperceptibly. During the past few painful weeks, I have continued to receive revelation in various forms and from various sources, feeling the dew of revelation slowly form on my soul. I have felt spiritually wounded for various reasons; I followed several promptings from our Heavenly Parents that led me to what I thought would be good decisions. These decisions, however, did not work out the way that I had anticipated. My expectations did not meet the reality of the situation. Even though I have felt incredibly hurt and confused, I have tried to press forward with faith in our Heavenly Parents and Their plan. <div>
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As I have felt so spiritually wounded, I have sought comfort in the typical manner. I have read the scriptures, attended Church services, prayed, read literature, and turned to a myriad of other sources. In my attempts to find comfort during these difficult moments, I have tried to examine my spiritual relationships. After attending my LDS services on Easter Sunday, I went to a small Episcopalian church, St. Mary's. As I sat in the services, I felt incredibly spiritually uplifted. It reminded me of my spiritual awakening that I experienced while I was in Europe that caused me to reevaluate my spirituality and my relationship with our Heavenly Parents.<br /><br />I started to feel better this past week, but I still felt some spiritual wounds in my soul. After moving back to Salt Lake this week, I decided that I would attend another Episcopal service at St. Paul's. St. Paul's was crowded; today a young man was baptized. During the sermon, I was reminded me of the healing that our Heavenly Parents can offer. </div>
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The sermon discussed the story of Thomas. Thomas has fascinated me for quite some time. As I was trying to decide on a title for my blog many years ago, I thought of my own faith journey. As I have traversed the landscape of Mormonism, I have discovered that my faith is complex. I went from a doubter, a "doubting Thomas" as some would say, to someone who underwent a series of profound spiritual experiences and became converted to the gospel. I have now found myself at a crossroads. </div>
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The man who gave the sermon discussed how we see Thomas. Thomas was a doubter. Thomas was the one who was too skeptical, too prone to intellectualizing the situation at hand. It is ironic, however, that the title "Doubting Thomas" is never used in the scriptures. In fact, the only title for Thomas that is used is Didymus (the twin). During the sermon, the man drew the connection between all of us and Thomas. We are Thomas's twins. We all experience human failings: doubts, fears, concerns, heartaches, and confusion. We are flawed, imperfect, but also beloved children of our Heavenly Parents. </div>
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He also mentioned how Thomas needed to find a way to encounter the risen Christ. Thomas's desire to see Christ was a desire to encounter Christ personally. We all desire to find ways to encounter the risen Christ for us personally. We are called to bring our doubts and uncertainty. Christ and our Heavenly Parents will take us as we are. They do not expect us to abandon our humanity because our humanity is what makes us beautiful and it is our humanity that makes us divine. The flaws and the doubts that we all have prepare us to be sanctified and to triumph over all the difficulties of this world. It is in our flawed state that our Heavenly Parents call us to encounter the risen Christ and to come to know Them. One person's answer to meet the risen Christ is <i>not </i>the answer for all, however. We cannot discount the answers of others because these answers do not resonate with us. We must learn to discover our own way to the Divine. We all need the reassurance that Thomas desired, the assurance that we can come to know the risen Christ. </div>
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In my own religious community, we tend to look down on the doubts that others experience. But aren't we all a bit like Thomas? Don't we all experience doubt and heartache? Confusion and sorrow? Disbelief and faith? I believe that as I have accepted myself as a Thomas, I have come to see how my Heavenly Parents see me. They know that I am flawed and that I experience doubt, heartache, confusion, sorrow, disbelief, and faith. But in the end, I cannot abandon my identity as a twin of Thomas. I am a Thomas. And my Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother love me for me, a Thomas. </div>
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Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-22888955100006471262014-04-09T10:51:00.003-07:002014-04-09T10:51:57.977-07:00What is love? Today was the last day of my world religion class with Dr. Alonzo Gaskill. He has some quirks that have bugged me occasionally, but I have mostly enjoyed his class. His class has been focused on cultivating religious understanding and helping us to appreciate the diversity in the world of the belief. As he concluded the semester with a summary of his own belief, he read us a scriptural passage, 1st John 4:20, that I am sure I have read before. <div>
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"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?"<div>
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As Dr. Gaskill read these words, I pondered on how we react to those who are different. How do we treat the Other? How would I want to be treated as the Other? </div>
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The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of sorts for me. I finished my thesis, I became involved in I'm A Mormon Feminist, I changed several habits in the my life, I introduced new habits, and I met up with my friend from freshman year to take her to the OW action. Even though this semester has been incredibly stressful and emotionally draining, it has given me time to reflect on the path that my life has taken. Through my involvement in Mormon feminism and LGBT advocacy, I have come to see how God wants us to treat the Other. </div>
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This realization, however, is not my first moment of understanding. When I was in my hardest area on my mission, ธนบุรี (Thonburi), I remember feeling emotionally exhausted. My time in the area had been difficult. To add to the difficulties that I was already experiencing, we never had any serious investigators. Without any serious investigators, I felt confused: Why had I been sent to this area? Why was I being entrusted with a young missionary to train? </div>
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Near the beginning of that move (transfer), we bought a map of Bangkok from a local bookstore. It showed the major road, จรัญสนิทวงศ์, that cut through the ธนบุรี side of the river. It showed the countless side streets (ซอย), the major Buddhist temples, and other historic landmarks. When I came to ธนบุรี, I was told that it was a struggling ward that had never recovered since a series of unfortunate boundary changes. My mission president sent us to boost the number of Elders to four in the ward. I was told that God had inspired this call and that I should work hard to do the best that I could. When I looked at this map, initially, I saw potential. I saw the opportunity to find new people to teach. </div>
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As the move progressed, however, I became frustrated. The people there were uninterested in our message. No matter how hard I tried, people would not investigate the Church. They would compliment me on my Thai, saying how clearly I spoke, but they would always give the traditional response of "Every religion teaches us to be good." My spirit languished. Why was God not blessing us with success? Why was I not finding people to teach about my cherished faith? One day, when we were planning for the next week, I looked at the map in a new light. I remember looking at the map and seeing what our Heavenly Parents saw. Not just street numbers or names of temples and landmarks. The map showed the homes of my siblings. Siblings born halfway across the world. Siblings who knew nothing about Them, but could still be happy. Some of them denied Them or felt angry at Them. Others embraced Them and cultivated relationships with the Divine. I thought, however, of the heartache that They feel when their children reject them. Perhaps my rejection by these wonderful people, who didn't see the need for Deity, was a portion of how our Heavenly Parents felt when They experienced rejection.</div>
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I don't believe that we all need to be Mormon to experience happiness. That was not the point of the story above. The point is, however, that I have come to realize what rejection is. There are parts of me that I fear will be rejected by others if they knew the "real" me. I fear that people's love is conditional or that their love will be taken away if I should do something that does not please them. </div>
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And now we return to the scripture mentioned above. If people does not love their siblings, they cannot say that they love God. I struggle to love perfectly. I find myself becoming frustrated with people and with their shortcomings, but I always try to return to that foundation of love. That foundation of love teaches me that the people around me are my siblings. Children of our Heavenly Parents. I do not want others to experience the pain that comes from rejection or isolation. When we truly love God, we will love our siblings. And that is love. </div>
Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-35576992116794665302014-04-03T22:12:00.000-07:002014-04-03T22:12:02.508-07:00Revelation and DewA few semesters ago, I took a class from Dr. Rachel Cope in the religion department. Professor Cope encourages her students to think about the gospel in new ways.One of these new ways was her constant focus on the theme of "sanctification" as the goal of the entire gospel. But what is sanctification? Sanctification is the process of becoming more holy. Holiness is a matter that is frequently discussed in hymns, scriptures, literary texts, and a multitude of other sources, but Professor Cope's particular approach to it deeply impressed me.<br />
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One day in American Christianity we were discussing revelation as described my contemporaries of Joseph Smith. These contemporaries often described revelation as knowledge that they received as the "dews from heaven." In the past few weeks, as I have been pondering the nature of revelation and the revelatory experiences in my life, I would similarly describe it as "dew from heaven." A few days ago I was discussing my spiritual journey with a friend, and I mentioned how God seems to give me spiritual impressions. As I was describing my spiritual impressions, I surprised myself by the number of revelatory experiences that I had experienced in the past (almost) seven years. It seems like yesterday I was in high school debating the weighty truth claims that Mormonism claims to be the gospel truth. I went to BYU, received my endowment, and served an honorable mission in Thailand. Now I find myself trying to navigate the waters of Mormonism. I am not a traditional Mormon and, to some, I may not be the best Mormon. But I have realized one important lesson throughout my years of experience: God sends revelation for me like the dew from heaven.<br />
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When we find dew on the grass in the morning, we rarely think about how it appeared. It has simply appeared overnight, making the grass and flowers slightly damp. Likewise, revelation has appeared to me in the most obscure ways. I have felt that God is guiding my path to make difficult decisions. I do believe that God does communicate with me, but God's methods, however, remain somewhat of a mystery to me. I have never heard a voice, but I have had strong feelings and impressions that have guided my decision process. Sometimes these promptings are hard to follow, but as I have followed what I believe to be right, I have seen how God has helped me to be successful and happy.<br /><br />Recently, I had a prompting that I needed to follow, but I was not happy about it. After almost eight months of questioning and wondering, I felt that I should do something that I had feared. It was extremely painful for me to see how God was asking me to do something that I did not understand. I still feel some pain from this decision, but I know that I made the right decision for this point in my life. It is only by making the hard decisions that I can learn how to see the <i>right </i>decisions. Also, time is a great teacher. Again, this revelatory experience was not a single event, but rather was a process. Like the dew mentioned earlier, my thoughts and impressions gathered to this point. I must not regret my decision to follow the impressions that came upon me. I believe that God has led me to a new place where I can learn and grow in new ways.<br /><br />To new beginnings!<br />Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-16288476062455116882014-03-25T23:41:00.001-07:002014-03-25T23:41:12.687-07:00A B.A. in EnglishAs graduation approaches, I have been reflecting on my years at BYU. What experiences have shaped me and changed my perceptions? How does my BYU experience compare to the experiences of others? I have had a lot of positive experiences at BYU. I have also had many negative experiences. Overall, however, I would say that BYU has been the ideal place for me. I'll be graduating with honors with a B.A. in English language and linguistics with minors in TESOL and Spanish. I've had a great educational experience here. I know people complain about BYU. Academically, however, I have received a top-notch education. <br />
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In ten years, what will I remember about BYU? I'll remember Civilization with Dr. Griggs, dine and discuss with Catherine, lunch and dinners with Rachel, the moldy milk that was left in the fridge over Christmas break my sophomore year, meeting one of my best friends that same year (Jason), inane EQ lessons, the times my car got booted, teaching at the ELC twice, great professors who really cared about me, all of my classes with Dr. Gardner, intense Spanish projects, 8 a.m. classes that I never wanted to go to, history of the English language with Dr. Hallen, the study abroad, meeting Matthew (another bestie!), moving in the middle of the semester from one apartment to another, the hurtful comments in Sunday School, living in the FLSR, teaching Sunday School in Spanish, cooking my first meal at the FLSR (everything went wrong), late nights with friends, meeting Kostya, living with Christian, enduring some difficult circumstances, taking religion classes that ranged from inane (BOM 2nd semester freshman year) to excellent (Dr. Cope), nights at El Azteca, lunches at the Slab, the best <span lang="vi">phở</span> in town, Thai food with friends, birthdays, nights of frustration and tears, spiritual experiences, realizing the intensity of my faith, my mission call to Thailand, Thai classes, papers, oral presentations, take-home midterms and finals, my thesis, working with Dr. Anderson, getting my job at the ELC, my brief stint at the MTC, helping with tutoring at the ELC, engaging with others in discussions about Mormon feminism and gender roles in the Church, unfortunate statements by members about LGBT members/ non-members, seeing non-native speakers' faces light up with understanding when they get the grammar principle I am teaching them, making cookies for my Foundations Prep students, and so many more memories.<br />
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I don't know why I feel nostalgic. I have another two years here. I am excited to be able to continue my education here. It might be associated with the occasional negative memory, but I am glad to think that I can continue to make positive memories here. BYU has made me who I am today. I hope to be able to continue to enjoy my experiences here and roll with the crazy!Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-45139522660805938012013-10-18T10:30:00.000-07:002013-10-18T10:33:17.820-07:00Small ChoicesIn the Church, we often talk about "small and simple thing" can cause miraculous things to happen in our lives. I have thought a lot about the past two years in my life. Since coming back from Thailand, life is quite a bit different than I expected. This statement is not intended to be a negative reflection; it is a real reflection of how life works out. There have been some positive outcomes and some negative outcomes. In the end, however, a series of positive choices have led me to a specific point in my life where I can look back now and see how little choices in my life have influenced positive outcomes in a tremendous way. Let's talk about the pattern that I've seen.<br />
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1. Winter Semester 2012, I began work at the English Language Center at the UPC building on BYU campus. I had never heard of the ELC before. I was pretty fresh back from my mission when I was interviewed for the job. I thought it would be a good enviornment I remember that I was sure that I was going to minor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, but my major was undecided. I felt drawn to American Studies, but for some reason it didn't feel right. During my time at the ELC, I met many faculty members that are involved in the TESOL program here at BYU, including Dr. Evans and Dr. Anderson.<br />
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2. After taking ELANG 223 and spending some time at the ELC, I decided that I wanted to major in English Language and Linguistics. It felt like the <i>right </i>decision. A lot of people asked me why I didn't do linguistics. I think I'll get to that in the course of this post, but (in part) I feel that my preparation in English linguistics specifically has made me a more effective English teacher (in my personal opinion) than a linguistics major would have. The in-depth study of English linguistics provides a unique perspective for potential English teachers. Despite one of my roommates claiming that my major wasn't academically rigorous enough, I feel like I have been prepared to teach English to non-native speakers.<br />
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3. The ELC has opened many opportunities that I hadn't anticipated. The TESOL minor requires an internship of 150 hours. I decided to do this internship at the ELC. Last winter semester, they allowed me to use some of my secretarial duties for the ELC internship. I started by teaching the Foundations Prep Vocabulary class two days a week and also doing various other projects. I also met Dr. Anderson and started to work with him on an Honors thesis about Self-Regulated Vocabulary learning. I intend to graduate with Honors in April! I have also been interning this last semester, teaching vocabulary for the foundations prep class again! At the ELC, I have had countless tutoring opportunities and teaching opportunities. Also, due to my interaction with Dr. Anderson, I was invited to take a graduate-level TESOL class this semester. This class is taught by one of my favorite professors, Dr. Gardner. This decisions are helping me prepare for grad school. As of right now, I am hesitant to make certain statements, but I feel directed to stay at BYU, even though it can be quite trying at times. <br />
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4. My brother who graduated from BYU regretted not being able to go abroad while he was at BYU. Most of the other siblings in my family did not have a chance to do so. Even though I had served in Thailand, I felt like I should go abroad. In my ELANG 223 class, I had heard about the English Language in the UK study abroad program. It piqued my interest then, but the timing didn't feel right. I decided to wait and bide my time. I decided to go this past summer. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Dr. Evans was one of the faculty adviser who would be leading the study abroad! I had talked to another professor about doing this study abroad, and she suggested that I plan my courses so I could take two required courses while abroad. She also suggested that I ask about being the teacher assistant. When I was interviewed by Dr. Evans and Dr. Elzinga, I asked about being the teaching assistant. Dr. Elzinga indicated that he had not planned on having a teaching assistant for the study abroad. I was disappointed, but determined to still go abroad. One day, while working at the ELC, however, Dr. Evans called me into his office. He told me that they had decided to pick me as the teaching assistant. They needed some help with the planning and the execution of the study abroad. This was a paid position. It didn't pay for the entire study abroad, but it did help with some costs and gave me extremely valuable experience. I did things that I never thought I would have to do. I became a navigator, tour guide, and teacher. I learned how to deal with stressful situations and how to be more flexible. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDAir-JDjdtc7bnTxkGMNdWQaHYcVsXRGSd_Ix_Jrtb7gBlzz9KLZuLTzM0rHipOy6DbZ-RHO42ruDT1My768EewDWpHS8XCZ0N98ZkdxsYo2L4B8olJ4LTy6UTLxvWGzPpuXEPBNn-QI/s1600/Matthew+and+Jacob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDAir-JDjdtc7bnTxkGMNdWQaHYcVsXRGSd_Ix_Jrtb7gBlzz9KLZuLTzM0rHipOy6DbZ-RHO42ruDT1My768EewDWpHS8XCZ0N98ZkdxsYo2L4B8olJ4LTy6UTLxvWGzPpuXEPBNn-QI/s320/Matthew+and+Jacob.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Matthew and I! </td></tr>
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5. On the study abroad, I had some pretty amazing experiences. I think one of the most impressive experiences, however, was the cultivation of a friendship with the only other guy on the study abroad with me. Matthew and I knew of each other before the study abroad. We were in the same major. We had a class together the winter before the study abroad (phonetics), and we had the prep class together as well. We didn't really talk though. When we were in the UK, though, things began to change. We started to talk. I really opened up to Matthew about some of the issues in my life. Matthew is a compassionate, understanding, insightful man. We would spend hours talking at night in London when we lived in our own private flat. We talked about everything under the sun. It is very rare for me to find someone that I connect with so well. The girls in the group would make fun of our bromance! They were all just jealous of us! We spent all of our time together and we had some really memorable experiences together. I remember the night before we left Scotland, we realized how much we were going to miss each other. When I went to Spain, we actually ended up talking almost daily through Facebook messages. It reminded me how close we had become.<br />
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We came back from the study abroad, and we grew even closer. He helped me get out of a bad housing situation, and I ended up moving into his ward. This was a wise choice on my part. The new place I am living in is wonderful in so many ways (despite a few challenges) and it's been so amazing to have one of my very best friend steps away. We are already talking about how we want to be roommates together in Provo this next year. Matthew has restored my faith in humanity in many ways. He is an amazing listener. He doesn't judge me for who I am. Matthew has a capacity to see people the way God sees them. I really admire that about him. We are extremely open with one another. It's been great to be able to have a friend like him. It feels like the answer to years of prayer! I am grateful for him and his wonderful influence! <br />
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And thus we see, little choices lead to bigger outcomes. Pretty incredible to think about! Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-59673090772175307032013-10-08T22:07:00.001-07:002013-10-08T22:07:29.209-07:00Mental Illness and the ChurchAbout a year ago, I read about George Albert Smith's battle with mental illness.
I mentioned this in an earlier post. Bedridden for nearly three years, George Albert Smith struggled with
bouts of depression coupled with serious physical maladies. The Church made no mention of this in its curriculum this last year in the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church. In fact, the Church doesn't have much dialogue when it comes to mental illness.<br />
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This past Saturday, however, things started to change. Elder Holland got up to give his talk this conference. He usually tackles difficult issues. What came next, however, was something that I hadn't expected:<br />
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"Let me leave the extraordinary illnesses I have mentioned to concentrate
on MDD—“major depressive disorder”—or, more commonly, 'depression.'
When I speak of this, I am not speaking of bad hair days, tax deadlines,
or other discouraging moments we all have. Everyone is going to be
anxious or downhearted on occasion. The Book of Mormon says Ammon and his brethren were depressed at a very difficult time, and so can the rest of us be. But today I am speaking of something more
serious, of an affliction so severe that it significantly restricts a
person’s ability to function fully, a crater in the mind so deep that no
one can responsibly suggest it would surely go away if those victims
would just square their shoulders and think more positively—though I am a
vigorous advocate of square shoulders and positive thinking!"<br />
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Elder Holland continued to discuss the problem of mental illness. I have heard so many times within the Church that "wickedness never was happiness." Many members, however, despite years of trying to "square their shoulders," cannot and will not overcome MDD. They aren't wicked. They are doing their home and visiting teaching, reading their scriptures, attending the temple, serving in their callings, and praying with all their might. But no matter what they try to do, the depression won't go away. Often in Church culture members judge others for their depression. Maybe if these members prayed <i>harder</i> or tried to attend the temple more often, then their depression would go away. But it doesn't. It never will by simply doing the religious activities that bring peace to other people's bad hair days. <br />
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I have struggled with these issues for years. These issues don't go away with more prayer. They don't go away with more fasting. Going to the temple more often will also not relieve the pains of depression. . I find comfort in the teachings of the Book of Mormon.<br />
"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people." <br />
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Like most issues in our mortal sojourn, however, I may struggle with this for the remainder of my mortal life despite having the power of the atonement available. But Elder Holland's talk gives me hope that we can have a more positive dialogue about mental illness in the Church. There shouldn't be any shame. We have to face these issues together. I want others to know that it's <i>okay </i>to admit that you struggle. It's <i>okay </i>to admit that life is difficult.<br />
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As Mormons, we have a community of believers. The point of having a community is to have that support and power that only community can bring. Let us reach out to help others. Let us not be afraid to reveal our weaknesses and struggles in this life. Only when we are open and honest can the healing begin. I have seen that in my life. While I still struggle on some days more than others, I know that there are people who do understand and will not judge. And most of all, we have a Savior who never judges, one who understands our situation perfectly.<br />
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And that's the best news of all. <br />
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Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-78708308258255659792013-09-08T12:19:00.002-07:002013-09-08T12:23:23.043-07:00Avoiding MishapsI haven't blogged in a while. After getting back from Europe (and while I was in Europe), things got so crazy! We finished off our wonderful time in London and headed to York and then finished the time of our trip in Scotland. I loved all of these places, despite some unfortunate memories from some of them (namely the incident involving Aberdeen and Inverness). Let's review the study abroad as a whole and some of the best things I learned on it and some of the things that I enjoyed.<br />
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1. I learned that I'm actually pretty good at doing logistical things for groups. I was pretty much in charge of everything logistical about the trip. I tried my hardest to make it a good experience for the students. There were a few hiccups in the road, but overall, I think I did really well.<br />
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2. I loved hearing the different dialects and learning more about the linguistic aspect of the UK. It was really interesting to see how much variation can exist in such small geographic space.<br />
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3. I loved seeing all kinds of sacred space. I didn't ever really get over "Cathedral-ed" as some people tended to do. I love seeing the sacred space, and I also love experiencing sacred activities in sacred space (Evensong). I think that these experiences prepared me to return home and reignite my desire to be closer to God again. I felt like for the past year I had gotten a bit "stagnant" in my spiritual progression. After visiting Europe, I think part of my desire to be closer to God again came from seeing all kinds of sacred space.<br />
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4. I met some amazing people. I was so grateful to have met some great girls who are so fun to be around! Matthew, the only other guy in the study abroad, and I got very close. He is a great guy and it is such a blessing and privilege to have met him. I didn't anticipate to go on the study abroad and to meet some of my closest friends!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqY6tv_6Be4d6c875nngPDJ180mFVXOz9L9vhL4TScv7d_62XBdU4e0NV99P4bHQsvuWEnIVeZL_z_Pm0ov6X9FkdaYu3-ma3dqBATOXouqhz2sj7DDbONpd5GF8rWIRJKIMJxORIFL6V/s1600/DSCN0645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqY6tv_6Be4d6c875nngPDJ180mFVXOz9L9vhL4TScv7d_62XBdU4e0NV99P4bHQsvuWEnIVeZL_z_Pm0ov6X9FkdaYu3-ma3dqBATOXouqhz2sj7DDbONpd5GF8rWIRJKIMJxORIFL6V/s320/DSCN0645.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the best people I know! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIXfU7DPO__zabnRJgAH2g36wyGQHret0l9sfZMvGRnSNfcCkQdzQ6KyRThj0hLT2YEaFHp52pgKCQ-H2ueFPcENUTZn23AjHSfGmNOguRZyItw6ma-i10aP9FtURPwZ1DaDLN5KchTgu/s1600/1157480_10152116951159409_1736773837_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIXfU7DPO__zabnRJgAH2g36wyGQHret0l9sfZMvGRnSNfcCkQdzQ6KyRThj0hLT2YEaFHp52pgKCQ-H2ueFPcENUTZn23AjHSfGmNOguRZyItw6ma-i10aP9FtURPwZ1DaDLN5KchTgu/s320/1157480_10152116951159409_1736773837_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These two are also some of the best people I know! They just couldn't make it to the temple on the day we went!<br />
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5. I learned that decisions that we make can have a huge impact on our lives. I'll get to this one in a minute.<br />
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Spain was also incredible. People weren't as friendly as I had hoped, but we saw some amazing sites. I loved the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. It is one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world! The inside is like a forest. No paintings, only light and natural shapes! There's too much to talk about in one blog post. But enjoy this picture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXjExLNpatK2vH6bRSWOGVxX-Txrkv2sp_cXiXSM5xsZheadfHfSQhHDNXHS8UXjH0QnWIAeHHG0ZQ3pjj7CqyBntJ-iQ0I9ZOsCbgwaUuTtw0x2GfnMuQhdVxH6HqoZ4ZYqaTz6EcESY/s1600/DSCN2827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXjExLNpatK2vH6bRSWOGVxX-Txrkv2sp_cXiXSM5xsZheadfHfSQhHDNXHS8UXjH0QnWIAeHHG0ZQ3pjj7CqyBntJ-iQ0I9ZOsCbgwaUuTtw0x2GfnMuQhdVxH6HqoZ4ZYqaTz6EcESY/s320/DSCN2827.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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I think another thing that I really learned is that our decisions have impacts. Before the beginning of the semester I had intended to do Writing Fellows for ESL students. While I was in London (I believe?), they told me that they would no longer have ESL fellows. I considered doing the non-ESL fellows, but something about it felt wrong and I dropped the class and the program. And it felt relieving. I was disappointed, but I felt like I needed to not do it. Since then, I was invited to take a graduate-level TESOL class, and I have been assigned to teach the foundations prep vocabulary class. It feels <i>right</i>. I am glad that Our Heavenly Parents steered me in the right direction.<br />
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Furthermore, since the beginning of the semester, things have felt off. I moved into my apartment and it felt wrong. I didn't feel like it was where I was supposed to be. I tried to get myself to feel like it was right, but it hasn't felt right the entire time. To make a long story short, I have decided to move, and things seem to be falling into place. I really hope that it continues to fall into place. I am really hoping for a good semester.<br />
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I am grateful for the love of our Heavenly Parents. I am grateful that They have a plan for me. God really does care so much! Here's to a semester of avoiding mishaps (or potential ones).Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-22998044502874132472013-07-14T13:47:00.001-07:002013-07-14T13:47:17.582-07:00London!So I fell a bit behind on my blog. Today I got home from Church and have been feeling a little sick all day. A combination of the heat of London and a cold, lack of water, and poor sleep finally caught up with me. All of that aside ,however, I love London! I do have to admit that I miss Wales, but I have been having a wonderful time so far. I will hit on some of the highlights that we have had while here in London.<br />
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We arrived on July 4th, a fitting entry for us Americans into the motherland. We had a bit of a rough time getting from Paddington to the tube station closest to our apartment. We got on the wrong line, then had to transfer at Earl's Court. We were misled on where to go, so some of us lugged our luggage up and down stairs unnecessarily. The station was packed. That was one of the first things I noticed about London: the number of people. After getting off at the right station (finally), we headed to our apartments. We got there and were greeted by Michael, the Irishman who manages the flats that we are staying in. They are pretty nice, despite the fact that they only have a washer/dryer combo. The flats are in a decent location. They are about ten minutes away from the nearest tube stop and about five minutes away from the nearest overground. After figuring some things out, we enjoyed a fourth of July party together as a group. The apartment was extremely hot that day. We were all dying from the heat.<br />
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The next day we all went together to the Tower of London. Our 50,000 best friends also decided to join us. The Tower of London was really quite interesting. It was fascinating to think how much the monarchy has invested into protecting its prized possessions. I saw the crown jewels, along with the places where many famous prisoners were held. It was also very hot that day. After that, we went on a delightful walking tour of Charles Dickens's London. Our tour guide, Richard III, inspired me to read more Dickens upon my return to the United States. I saw the places where Our Mutual Friend could have taken place. We also saw the places where Dickens worked and lived. It was simply delightful!<br />
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Saturday is a bit of a blur. I went to see a play with another girl on the study abroad. That was quite fun. We didn't anticipate seeing one, but they had great tickets at a great price. We bought the tickets at 2:00 and went to the 2:30 matinee while everyone else went to St. Paul's for evensong. After that, the girl who went with me and I walked along the Thames and the Millennium Mile. We saw Big Ben, the Houses of Parliment, the London Eye, a giant sidewalk fair, and St. Paul's. We also got our pictures by the Globe! I was so excited to think that I was standing in places where Shakespeare and his contemporaries would have stood.<br />
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Sunday proved to be a whole new adventure. We attended Church in the suburbs of London. It took probably three hours total to get there and back. The wards here are small, but diverse. I love seeing the traditional African dress, and the other nationalities that are represented here.<br />
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Monday we had our first day of class. We enjoyed class, but it was hard to be in class after traveling so much. We also went on a Jack the Ripper tour, which was quite fascinating. It is amazing to see the places in the East End that would have been haunted by Jack. The East End has been cleaned up considerably, but it is still not the same as the West End. There is a different feel to it. It's amazing to think how many people lived in poverty and in the slums here just a little over a hundred years ago. This day we also went to the Science Museum by the Hyde Park Chapel. It was cool to see everything they had to offer!<br />
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On Tuesday we traveled to Oxford. I loved seeing the Oxford University Press. The tour guide spoke the best RP I have heard here. There was no indication of any kind of accent that would place him anywhere in England. Seeing the press made me want to work there in their ESL department. We also saw the Eagle and the Child and the oldest museum in all of England, the Ashmolean Museum. It had some great art! One of the girls and I enjoyed it a lot. We were exhausted by the time we got back to the train to return to London.<br />
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The next two days are a bit of a blur. I know that we went see <i>Once </i>which I loved! I almost cried at the end. I now hope to return home to see the movie. We also have been seeing a lot of sites around London. I have loved seeing all of the beautiful churches and cathedrals. On Friday we went to Canterbury and Hastings. I saw the place where the Battle of 1066 took place, and I ate a meat pie while in that town. The battlefield itself was serene, almost ironically compared to what it would have been like back in the day. We went to Canterbury later that day. Our coach had arrived so early in the morning, as a side note, that Dr. Elzinga made us rush out the door. It was alright in the end though. In Canterbury, the other boy and I explored the town, I ate some phad Thai from a street vendor. They were both from the Isaan. It was delicious and tasted very similar to Thailand. We also saw the oldest Church site in all of England. It was a gorgeous little Church with a peaceful graveyard. After seeing these things, we returned to the hostel, the nicest one we have stayed at so far. Their breakfast the next day was incredible. Scones, crumpets, hot chocolate, Nutella, biscuits, etc.<br />
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Canterbury Cathedral was really touching to me. I have never been in a place that I have felt the Spirit of God so freely manifest. Well... Perhaps besides the temple. The entire place feels like God is present. From the beauty of the light to the sound of the practicing choir, the cathedral left me awed. I wrote a prayer to be prayed for upon the altar. I lit a candle for my departed uncle. I prayed. I took lots of pictures and I was amazed. Sometimes I wonder how our faith would be different if we had such beauty to worship in weekly. After that, we explored a bit in town and then headed back to London.We did a few things. And then it was today. And now I sit here in a flat in London, hoping to recover so that tomorrow can be a big, bright new day.<br />
<br />Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-84013228582124014462013-07-05T14:37:00.002-07:002013-07-05T14:37:26.029-07:00July 4th in LondonWe got up early in Cardiff. I was still feeling quite ill, but we managed to leave the hostel around 9:00 a.m.. We hiked to the Queen's Street Station in Cardiff, our bags in tow. I thought how much I would miss Wales. The Welsh language, th beautiful countryside, and the endearing culture all became a part of my heart. I hope to be able to return to Wales one day. Perhaps I could return to teach English! We transferred to train that went directly from Cardiff to London Paddington at Cardiff Central station. The train was posh and comfortable. Some people played cards on the way to London. When we arrived in London, we waited in a long line at the giant Paddington station in order to get our Oyster Cards figured out. We bought everyone an Oyster Card with unlimited travel for 35 pounds a week. It didn't seem like that bad of a deal to me. When we finally got on the tube, we started to head toward our flats. After a little confusion, we finally managed to get on the right train and going in the right direction. This, however, was after some people had lugged their luggage up a flight of stairs unnecessarily. After this little mishap, we walked from the Tube stop to our flats. The flat is nice. Somewhat bare, but it has just about everything I could need. We sat through a long orientation with a friendly Irish man named Michael. Several of us were dozing off. For some reason, London is incredibly hot these days. That first night we didn't do much. We did a little bit of shopping at the Co-Op and we explored a bit. The area we are staying in is fairly nice. We all split a pizza for dinner. It was nice to have a cheap meal that was somewhat filling. I am probably not eating enough lately. Food can be so expensive here! We also had a small fourth of July celebration with marshmallows, hot dogs, and games. It was quite fun, even if the flat that we had it in was incredibly hot.<br />
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Today we woke up and worked our way to the Tower of London. My 55,000 closest friends also decided to visit the Tower today. One word: crowded. The line to see the Crown's Jewels was at least an hour. I really enjoyed seeing all the exhibits on everything from torture to famous prisoners and ravens and everything in between. I also was shocked at the beauty of the Jewels. I can see why people would wait in such a long line to see them. The diamonds were huge, and the gold objects impressive. After our time at the Tower, we went on a walking tour of Dickens's London. We saw all kinds of interesting things including the hall where <i>12th Night </i>was first performed! Our guide was knowledgeable about Dickens. We also learned about his life, and we saw some of the places that were pertinent to Dickens's life. Some highlights included the Old Curiosity Shop, Dickens's childhood workplace, Dickens's home/publishing location for a long period of time, and the places where some of his characters lived. The entire tour made me want to read more Dickens! The tour left us pretty exhausted, so we headed back to the flats. We had fish and chips from a tiny little shop. Then we headed home. I did some laundry. We tried to plan tomorrow, but the number of things to do is astronomical. We cannot plan when there are at least 100000000 things to do! I hope to be able to see Evensong tomorrow and walk the Millennial Mile. We'll see what adventures tomorrow brings!Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-80009764744831357502013-07-03T13:24:00.001-07:002013-07-03T13:24:52.225-07:00Church History and other happenings in WalesYesterday morning I woke up with a sore throat and a stuffy nose. I wasn't sure what it was from. We woke up and had breakfast. After this, we went to several Church history sites that were quite interesting. First of all, we started off with a trek to Benbow Farm. In that small pond, several hundred members were baptized. I was impressed by the beauty of the scenery there. I couldn't help but wonder how those missionaries would have felt. We also visited Hereforshord Beacon, where they decided to print the Book of Mormon for the first time in Europe. After the steep hike to the Beacon, we visited the Gadsfield Elm Chapel, a beautiful chapel and the oldest extant LDS chapel in the world. We also made a detour to Tintern Abbey. It was incredible! I cannot begin to describe the beauty of this stone structure and the surrounding woods. I can understand why it inspired an incredibly famous poem. After that, we went to dinner at a potato bar that was also quite delicious. Chocolate and the beauty of Wales. Wandering around the mall! Sentence fragments because I have a cold.<br />
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I love Cardiff. We got up today and went to the Museum of Cardiff. They had Rembrandts, Monets, and Rodins! I loved that. After that, we went to the Welsh lecture at Cardiff University. Geoff and Gareth and the director of the center presented about the center's goals and purposes. It was a lovely presentation and I loved it. Dr. Evans would have also loved it. Welsh gives me a little bit of a headache. We had lunch at McDonald's after trying forever to figure out the buses to St. Fagan's. After lunch, we went to St. Fagans. It was a series of reconstructed buildings from all over Wales. I could have spent at least two more hours there. We also saw baby pigs! They were beyond adorable. We traveled home after seeing the entirety of that and we went to the train station (insert train station saga here- so complicated). I had roast and yorkshire pudding for dinner. Yum! And now we are going to bed. I must REST.Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-88940838230350308072013-07-01T13:51:00.000-07:002013-07-01T13:51:42.963-07:00CardiffToday we woke up in Llandudno and prepared to leave for our trek to Cardiff. There is something enchanting about Wales. I love the beautiful shade of green here. I love the beaches. I love the look of the buildings. And I love the culture! Part of me wants to return to America and take Welsh rather than Vietnamese this coming fall. On our drive today, we saw some of the most beautiful scenes in the area around Snowden and Snowdonia. We stopped to take pictures near Snowden. There was a lake and rolling hills covered with greenery. I loved every minute of it! There are sheep everywhere here too. In fact, we saw a few baby lambs when we got out to take pictures. The roads here are also very narrow. After a few close calls, we finally made it to the town that Dr. Evans originally wanted to go. It wasn't really a tourist town, but it was the hometown of a BYU professor and famous poet, Leslie Norris. Merthyr Tydfil looks like a lot of it is struggling financially. Our bus driver was telling us that parts of Wales went from 100% employment with the coal mines to 10% employment when they closed down in the 1980s. I was thinking about the opportunity to teach English here to people coming from different countries. How fun would it be to return to Wales to teach English!<br />
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After visiting Merthyr Tydfil, we headed into Wales. We checked into our hostel, which is fairly nice, despite the fact that it is in a rundown area in Cardiff. After dropping our things off, we went in search of food. We went to a pizza/kebab place here in Cardiff. Cardiff is home to many Farsi people/ people from different areas of the world. I had a lamb kebab with pita. It was incredible! Trying to find ice cream for some people in the group, on the other hand, proved to be an adventure. We walked around for a long while only to find a grocery store that was about to close. Then we walked home, and I am about to get ready for bed. Tomorrow, we will be visiting a few places in Wales related to church history.<br />
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I love Wales!Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-6917907779030995772013-06-30T14:48:00.000-07:002013-06-30T14:48:10.557-07:00The Last Two Days<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I
have been a little derelict in my blogging. I was extremely tired yesterday
after a long week, so I fell a bit behind. We started our day in Dublin early.
Try 6:00 a..m. early. We got ready to go to Wales, eating breakfast at around
6:30. Frank, our coach driver, drove us to Dublin port. We saw the large ship
the </span><i>Ulysses<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>in port. We pulled up to the port and took a few pictures
with Frank. We all felt a twinge of sadness in leaving Ireland. We got checked
in (I led the check-in, as always) and waited for our boat, the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Swift,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>named after Jonathan Swift of Dublin (I got a picture next to
his birthplace on our three hour walking tour of Dublin). We took the boat for
about two hours. After getting off the boat, I felt like we were in a very
beautiful place. I loved seeing the red dragon everywhere off the boat. All of
the signs were in Welsh as well! We met our coach driver at the airport. His
name is Tony and he is from London. After getting the coach loaded up, he
reminded us of the safety rules. Safety rules? Ireland must be a little bit
more relaxed about safety rules. We drove to the longest town name in Wales/
the world (my instincts tell me that the full name of Bangkok is longer). Llanfair (Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch)
is clearly a touristy place. It has a few things, but it mostly attracts
tourists curious to see the sign of the city. I went to the Co-Op to get something to eat. I found some Welsh cakes. They were delicious! They reminded me of when the Welsh teacher at BYU, Susan Woods, came to visit us in class winter semester.We drove to see Conwy castle and explore the city of Conwy. The castle was nice. We got some good pictures, and we also got to see a little bit of the city. The Welsh countryside is green, but it is a different green than Ireland. There are sheep everywhere. I love the look of the houses. We then drove to our hostel in Llandudno, a beach town where Alice Liddell's family used to spend their summers. </div>
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When we were driving into the city, we saw many statues of Alice in Wonderland. After getting settled in the hostel, a hostel owned by Lithuanians, we took a trip to Asda. I bought some food with Katie, Liz, and Matthew, so we could share food for the Sabbath. We bought the things we needed for sandwiches and salad. After that, we went home to rest. The hostel is homey, but crowded. There is barely enough space in our room to move, let alone be comfortable. I am getting eager to not be on the road. </div>
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Today, we got ready for Church. Church was pretty good. The branch was in Colwyn Bay, a small town nearby Llandudno. Sacrament meeting was from the seminary program. The youth here seem very well-spoken. The Sunday School lesson was a bit harder for me. I dislike the story of the milk and cream with the Marshes. I do not feel that it is historically accurate. The Marshes left the Church over more complicated matters than that. Also, I do not like the "choose to be offended" rhetoric that is perpetuated in the Church. The lesson after that was a combined lesson on the missionary broadcast and on the British Legion. One woman used the phrase "I'm pants at knitting," meaning "I am horrible at knitting." After returning home, we ate and took a nap. Then a few of us went to the beach and an Alice in Wonderland park. It was a beautiful view. I feel very attached to Wales. I hope to be able to return someday. I would love to be able to come back and stay for longer than we are here. We also had a musical fireside where the Gardners invited some people from Spain and Pakistan to attend. Someone sang "The Streets of London." I loved hearing that in an LDS building. The men from Spain were very friendly. One of them was an architect from Sevilla who came here to learn English in order to find a better job. The Gardners also invited some of our neighbors in the hostel. They were from Pakistan, but had lived in the United States. The musical fireside ended and we headed home. We had some dinner and now I am getting ready to go to bed. Tomorrow, it is off to Snowdonia and Cardiff!</div>
Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-1324470413734269392013-06-28T22:27:00.000-07:002013-06-28T22:27:16.894-07:00Last Day in Dublin<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">We woke up and had our typical breakfast of cereal and toast.
After this typical European breakfast, we went to see the Book of Kells at
Trinity College. I have always had a thing for illuminated manuscripts; the
Book of Kells was beautiful! It dates back from 800 A.D. when it was written by
Irish monks off the coast of Scotland on the Ireland on the island of Iona. The
Trinity College library is also incredible. The architecture was borrowed in
recent films such as Attack of the Clones and Harry Potter. I really enjoy
books. After this adventure, some of us decided to take a walking tour that was
free. Dublin is a large city. Like any city, it is easy to get lost in Dublin.
We got lost before we finally found the tour. The three hour tour took us on a
crash course in Irish history. From failed rebellions to musical genius, Dublin
has a lot to offer. We saw the place where the failed Irish rebellion where the
Irish could have taken over the seat of British power took place. We also saw
statues to many famous Irish heroes. One of my favorite sites was Christ Church
Cathedral, the place where Handel's Messiah was very first performed. We also
saw the museum of Ireland. It had a lot of artifacts from various periods in
Irish history, in addition to various artifacts from Egypt. After some more
wandering, we got some lunch/dinner at a local pub. Most of us had Irish lamb
stew. It was incredible! The meat was tender and juicy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Tomorrow we are heading out to Wales. Part of me wishes I could
spend more time in Dublin. It is a diverse place. I have also seen how there is
a lot of contrast here in Dublin. Ancient and modern. Irish and foreign. There
seems to be a great culture war going on here over several issues (there must
be an abortion bill that is being hotly debated- we see pro and anti-abortions
signs everywhere.) There is a large amount of Polish people here, in addition
to people from other countries and places. One interesting fact: the population
of Ireland pre-famine in the mid 1800s was 8 million. The population today is
only 6 million. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Off to Wales we go!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-67572449202619807062013-06-27T14:15:00.001-07:002013-06-27T14:15:39.461-07:00Rock of Cashel<div class="MsoNormal">
We woke up in Killarney. After a long day, I was ready for
some good news today. After waking up, I decided to go figure out the baggage
situation. I went downstairs to ask to use the phone, and I called the Shannon
Airport. They knew it was me since I had called them twice now. After calling
them and giving them the address to deliver the bags to in Dublin, we all had
breakfast together. The breakfasts here are always toast with jam and cereal .
Today they had apples, so I had one of those as well. After that, I called both
Blarney Castle and Rock of Cashel to confirm our visits. We drove to Blarney.
The line at Blarney was about an hour and half. We ran into a woman from
England who had a long-time wish to kiss the stone. She didn’t get to kiss it
since the line was too long. We were waiting in the line for about an hour and
a half. We weren’t sure if we were going to be able to kiss the actual stone,
so I kissed several stones in between. I was in line with a couple of people
from my group. We were all <i>very </i>eager
to get the gift of the gab. The castle itself had a lot of winding stairs and
some interesting rooms. Everything in Ireland points to a past where people
were midgets. It seems like every step, every bed, and every room is just <i>smaller</i>. I imagine that our level of
nutrition has lead to increased height and weight. We had lunch at the Castle
before heading out for Rock of Cashel.</div>
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Rock of
Cashel has been one of my favorite things that we have seen so far in Ireland. It
was a beautiful church with some ribbed vaulting, beautiful windows, and a lovely
view of the countryside. A few of us decided to walk down to the ruins of a
Sisteritian Abbey from the 13<sup>th</sup> century. It is amazing to think how
old everything here is. We got some great pictures. And made some new friends
(namely a cow). </div>
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After
Rock of Cashel, we began the long trek to Dublin. It was about a two hour ride.
The first thing you will notice about Dublin is its size. It is a larger city
than anyplace we have been. There are lots of businesses and hostels, pubs and
grocery stores. I arrived at Jacobs Inn
to find that my bags had been delivered! I have been waiting for several days
to be able to shave; I was starting to grow a beard. I finally shaved it off
tonight after a dinner of beef stew at the local pub- it was delicious! It had
Irish beef, potatoes, carrots, and peas. The woman at the bar was amused when
we asked to get a picture of us with our glasses full of water rather than Guinness,
the local beer of Ireland. She was teasing the other boy on the study abroad who
asked her about one of items on the menu. After our dinner at the nearby pub,
we went walking around. Dublin reminds me a lot of New York. Diverse, large,
and very much city-like. As for now, I think it is time for me to hit the hay
and prepare to see the Book of Kells tomorrow!</div>
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Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-9131187053024548662013-06-26T13:50:00.002-07:002013-06-26T13:50:48.688-07:00Muckross House and My luggage didn't appear to be coming, so I decided to call the airlines this morning. We still don't have a cell phone for the group since we aren't quite sure what to do. They anticipated that it would be on the flight today, so I told them to send it to Killarney. The breakfast we had was toast and cereal. I went to Tesco (gave me flashbacks of Thailand's Tesco Lotus ("Lotus" for short) and bought a bottle of water and a Crunchie. I couldn't resist the Crunchie! It's been years. It was just as nice as I remember it. Today we went around the Dingle Peninsula. The view was incredible! The rocks of Ireland are not to be missed. We stopped by a statue of Jesus on the cross to get some pictures. We got some great pictures.<br />
<br />
We stopped for lunch in Dingle. Two words: tourist trap. I like fish and chips, but I felt like the prices were geared towards tourists, so I skipped the fish and chips and headed to the local market to make myself some sandwiches and eat that with some produce. It was much cheaper than anyplace out in Dingle.<br />
<br />
We also went to Muckross House today. Muckross House was a house that Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert stayed in during a brief trip to Ireland shortly before Albert's death. They informed the owners of the house that they would be visiting six years in advance. I cannot imagine if someone told me that I was amazed. It was interesting to see how that small segment of the rich Irish society lived. We were there for a little bit before we went to Ross Castle. I didn't go in since they didn't have room for all of us, but we didn't miss anything. Everyone left Ross Castle fairly underwhelmed.<br />
<br />
After all of this, we checked in to the hostel and had dinner at a local pub. Everything is going well. I have been trying to figure out my bags fiasco for about an hour and a half, but besides that, things are good. I will try to update when I can. As for now, I need to get some rest and get to bed. Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-71028120642524446422013-06-25T13:36:00.001-07:002013-06-25T13:36:39.625-07:00First Day in Ireland<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I rarely blog, but I can't go
several weeks without blogging about my adventures in the UK. After many hours
of traveling, we finally arrived in Tralee for the night. Let's start at the
beginning of our adventures.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">When I got to the
airport on Monday, they told me that my flight had been delayed by thirty
minutes. Since my flight was delayed getting to JFK, I was nervous that I
wasn't going to be able to get on the flight at JFK for Shannon because I only
had an hour layover to begin with. Somehow, I knew that I wouldn't have my
luggage when I first arrived in Ireland. After saying a few goodbyes to David
and Mother, I headed through security. I saw lots of missionaries. Many of them
were headed for Madagascar. I also, in an ironic twist of fate, saw a Thai
monk. I was sure he was Thai because of the color of his robes and the bag that
he was carrying, a bag common to Thailand monks. I waited for the plane and got
on board. The man in front of me was a short, stocky man with a grey fedora. I
knew it was going to be trouble when he started complaining to no one in
particular that someone was messing with his scalp. He claimed that someone was
burning all his hair off somehow. He kept asking what was wrong with people
because they were <i>clearly </i>messing
with his scalp. Insinuating that the girl from China sitting next to him was
the culprit was particularly odd. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> The
ride was incredibly bumpy. At one point, I nearly thought the plane was in
trouble. The captain asked the flight attendants to sit down even though they
were distributing drinks. We stayed seated for most of the flight. I got
nervous before we were due to land since my flight was due to leave at 9:32
p.m. and we were supposed to land at 8:57 p.m., so I talked to the incredibly
friendly flight attendant who was from either China or Korea. She got me a seat
closer to the front and told people to give me priority. I was impressed with
Delta’s response. After we deplaned, I literally ran to the gate and made it in
time for boarding. My bags, however, could not run as quickly as I could. I
knew they didn’t get on since I boarded at 9:15. I enjoyed sitting next to two
lovely Irish women, a nun and a nurse. The nun had worked in Utah for five
years teaching at a Catholic school close to Cottonwood High School. The nurse
had an American husband and had worked in New Jersey for a while. The Filipino
flight attendant also asked if I “attended the Mormon temple.” I told him that
I was indeed a Mormon. Somehow he knew that Mormons had a temple in Ghana.
Small world. The Irish nun also told me about how she was neighbors with a
direct descendent of Brigham Young when she lived in Utah. Again, it’s quite a
small world.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> We
arrived in Ireland and figured some things out. We got some money and met the
Gardners at the airport. We waited for several hours at the nearby hotel.
Others arrived and then we got on the coach and headed to Bunratty Castle. One
girl missed her connecting flight, so we later returned to get her after we had
visited Bunratty. Bunratty was a large castle with enormous grounds. There were
several groups of French and German tourists. We saw one woman in the grounds
who was demonstrating the way to make butter. She washed the butter and
proceeded to spank the butter. She told us it was just like spanking a child.
Wait… That’s mean! Or is it? After that we went to get some dinner. I had some
fish and chips from a local McDonald’s like place. And then we rode to Tralee.
We checked in with me acting as the official bell boy. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Irish people are incredibly
friendly! They love to talk to you and they are all so nice to strangers. I
have been impressed with the beauty of the country and its people. Tomorrow, we
should be going to Killarney. Here’s to hoping that I get my bags!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-63023964306369412352013-03-30T21:32:00.000-07:002013-03-30T21:32:08.013-07:00Burned OutIt's that point in the semester where I get burned out every year. The semester is almost over, but not close enough to being over that I can rest. I have a lot left to do, but it's getting closer and closer to the end.<br /><br />I will have gone to school straight for two years when I finish in April of next year. I will be tired. Ready for a break. But it will be all worth it. One hopes...Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-81000819484385791972013-03-03T13:20:00.002-08:002013-03-03T13:20:15.735-08:00Semester Half OverSo as you can see, I haven't blogged in a long time. I rarely have time to do anything anymore and so my blogging fell by the wayside. This semester has been very intense for me. It makes last semester look a lot easier. Here's an overview of some things going on in my life.<br />
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1. Classes- I am taking 17.5 credit hours. It's a lot. I hadn't anticipated taking that many, but there have been some developments in my life. Here's my list of classes.<br />
a. ELANG 273- Introduction to Research Methods in English Linguistics. Professor Turley is awesome and this class has been incredibly useful. It's a lot of work as far as projects and such, but it's all useful so I can put up with it.<br />
b. LING 461- Assessment in TESOL. This class is also really great. Professor Strong-Krause really likes me for some reason. I like learning about how to create effective tests. It does make me very critical of all tests now though...<br />
c. SPAN 441- Survey of Literature of Spain. Professor Stallings, despite his poor accent, is a good teacher and I enjoy learning about a wide variety of literature. Literature is like a window into culture.<br />
d. LING 468- Discourse Analysis. I like the set up of the class a lot. Dr. Nuckolls can be kind of hard to read sometimes and can give unclear instructions, but I think I will be okay in the class.<br />
e. ELANG 327- English Phonetics and Phonology. This class has been pretty good. I am a little scared of Dr. Elzinga, but not because he's not nice. Dr. Elzinga is really smart and is actually quite funny.<br />
f. STAC 191- This is a weight lifting class. It's nice to learn how to lift weights.<br />
g. IAS 201R- This class starts this week. It's my prep class for my study abroad! Dr. Evans and Dr. Elzinga have asked me to be the TA for the study abroad. I am quite eager.<br />
h. LING 496R- I am doing my TESOL internship at the ELC. I taught Foundations Prep for the first half of the semester and have been working on projects and other things at the ELC to get a total of 100 hours of work. It's been quite the time. I have 66 hours so far.<br />
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So everything is going well, but I am incredibly busy. I can't wait until Summer when I get to go to England!Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-52532485524283691012013-02-26T18:41:00.001-08:002013-02-26T18:41:57.401-08:00Interesting Linguistics Survey<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid black; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid black; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">1. What term do you prefer for a sale of
unwanted items in front of your house, usually on a weekend?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 198.9pt;" valign="top" width="265">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">2. What do you call the long sandwich that
contains cold cuts, lettuce, etc.?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 198.9pt;" valign="top" width="265">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">3. What do you call the insect that flies
around in summer and glows in the dark?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 198.9pt;" valign="top" width="265">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">4. What is your general term for the
rubber-soled shoes worn in gym class or for athletic activities?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 198.9pt;" valign="top" width="265">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">5. What is the item called that you turn to
let water come out into the hose?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">6.
What do you call the wheeled contraption for getting groceries?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 198.9pt;" valign="top" width="265">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">7. What term do you use for something that
is diagonally across the street from you at an intersection?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 198.9pt;" valign="top" width="265">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">8.
What do you call putting the sheets,
blankets, and pillows in the right place when you get up in the
morning?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">9. What do you call paper that has already
been used for something or is imperfect?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 198.9pt;" valign="top" width="265">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">10. What is your general term for a big
road that you drive relatively fast on, separated from cars going the other
way?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 198.9pt;" valign="top" width="265">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">11. What is it when you are cold, and
little points of skin come on your arms & legs?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 198.9pt;" valign="top" width="265">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">12.
What do you call the stuff that collects in the corner of your eye
when sleeping?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">13.
What do you call the box you bury a dead person in?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">14. What do you call the sweet spread one
puts on a cake?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 198.9pt;" valign="top" width="265">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">15.
What do you call the small road parallel to a highway?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 198.9pt;" valign="top" width="265">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">16.
What is your term for a sweetened carbonated beverage?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 198.9pt;" valign="top" width="265">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">17. What do you carry things home in from
the grocery store?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">18.
What do you call a warm top
often worn in winter? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-88291896676838811042012-10-30T11:51:00.000-07:002012-10-30T11:51:11.459-07:00Torture and Mormonism This past week I had an interesting exchange on Facebook. I found out that one of the psychologists that designed torture techniques used under the Bush administration was called to be a bishop. This confused and concerned me. While I do believe strongly in the principle of repentance and change, I am very concerned that someone who had broken the law of the United States so severely could still be considered for a leadership position. How could this man have been involved in such an endeavor? And to call him to a leadership position seems risky; it was sure to call media attention to this man. This man may feel regrets for his actions. I do not know him. It is not my place to say what he feels or what he does not feel. I think, however, that this does raising interesting questions about morality and Mormonism. <div>
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After saying all of this, I was (ironically) attacked for judging this man. I will post some disturbing and sad comments below.<br /><br /><br />"I'll keep my opinions of Joanna Brooks to myself. I see your points, but I think your selection of article makes a difference in how people perceive your initial argument. If you brought up an article simply about "hey, this Mormon guy helped design controversial torture tactics", people would focus on the morality of Mormons and torture. But the article you found was one that was casting aspersion onto his divinely-inspired calling because of his past involvement in torture. For me, that changed my interpretation of the issue from "ethics of torture" to "ethics of divine inspiration," and thus changed my response. There are probably a few reasons we don't have official Church positions on every possible moral dilemma: allowing people to seek their own inspiration to not be "commanded in all things," because there are SO many unique scenarios to address, or maybe because sometimes there are righteous exceptions (like Nephi and Laban). Personally, we can all pray for personal inspiration or seek advisement from priesthood leaders when we have questions and when the Church's position is unclear. Publicly, does it matter? Those who tout their to-the-letter religious devotion in the public arena, looking for approval of their image, were rebuked by Christ for being prideful. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what other people think of us. What kind of change are you calling for? If administrative changes need to happen, God will inform those who have responsibility for those changes - they're the men that we sustained less than a month ago in General Conference. I don't know enough about the situation on interrogation techniques to offer any answers there; maybe it was somehow like a Laban experience where Nephi didn't think the cost of a life was more than the benefit of escaping Jerusalem with a copy of the scriptures, but God approved (and commanded, that time) anyway. People don't often seem satisfied with the answer "I don't know," but sometimes it's all God gives us right now."<br /><br />"Jacob, how many people are called unqualified? Almost all. You're disregarding the Atonement entirely. Why pull a mote when you've got a beam now you know just as well as I that torture is never justified. I protested its practice during recent wars when I was in high school. But I sin too. And far be it from me to criticize the Life's judgements. Even if it is wrong, all things will come full circle in the end."<br /><br />"Katie is right. And I will never put stock in the many observers and commentators of Mormonism who believe there is "grave underdevelopment in the public morality and political theology of contemporary Mormonism”. God's church and His doctrine is perfect, though his people aren't. The fullness of the Gospel has been restored, there is no imperfection in God's morality nor His theology. The world scorns the church using their imagined perception of what true morality is, but they are just plain wrong, which is why I don't heed their complaints in any way."<br /><br /><br />Grave underdevelopment in the public morality and political theology of contemporary Mormonism holds no water apparently? After extensive research, I still cannot find anything on lds.org about torture. Saints are called upon to proclaim peace frequently in articles about war (a topic closely related to torture), but there is no codified theological teaching when it comes to torture. In another sad incident, I recently read an article that touched on the issue of a young Mormon woman in Iraq who committed suicide because she did not agree with the torture techniques being used. She was told by her superior officers that this war on terror was "different" and that these techniques were necessary. Necessary? Would you lose your humanity to "gain" a sliver of protection? <div>
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There is a moral conflict here. It cannot be ignored. What <i>did </i>happen to love your neighbor? Would you want anyone to torture you or your family? What were Christ's teachings about enemies? Surely we must defend ourselves when necessary, but to stoop to the level of the "enemy" makes us no better than they are. Let's remember what Christ said about loving your enemy. </div>
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Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-23121975398537781822012-10-17T22:33:00.001-07:002012-10-17T22:33:29.365-07:00New Ward and Changes? Moving into new wards at BYU is almost more of a habit for me at BYU. Since last year, I have been in three wards. I seem to luck out every other time at BYU when it comes to wards. Freshman year I had an excellent ward that I loved. After coming back from my mission, I disliked my ward for a variety of reasons that I won't discuss here. The FLSR ward was <i>awesome</i>. But now I am in that every other ward rut again. <div>
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I am not typically a judgmental person, but I have some beef with maybe just people in general lately? I feel like there is this sense of entitlement that people have. They <i>deserve </i>certain things. Frankly, we really don't deserve much of anything. I feel like as a fairly nice guy, I often get the short end of the stick. I often am left to do more of the work while others can play and mess around. Then again, that makes me seem like I have a sense of entitlement. Sigh. Human emotions. Hypocrisy. All so complex. Someone help me figure out this jumbled life. </div>
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On another note, my roommates may <i>both </i>be leaving. My mission companion doesn't like Utah and doesn't like living far from school (UVU). He may move next semester. Personally, I think that he won't last in Utah. Not to say he isn't a good guy, Utah just isn't his thing. And so I may be playing the roommate game again. Sigh. Two new roommates. That would be interesting. </div>
Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575751491068070568.post-68687849486584447912012-10-08T22:32:00.002-07:002012-10-08T22:32:39.743-07:00Missions and Mormon CultureToday my coworker that I worked with when I first started working at the ELC came in to see me today. She is a very pleasant girl and is one of the most friendly people that I have met at BYU. She's also a hard worker and seems to know what she wants. I was talking to her about the mission announcement and she told me about her experience with it. She felt that she should go on a mission.<br />
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It was obvious that today the talk of the town was the new ages for missionaries. Every other conversation that I heard on campus focused on the new ages. I heard more girls than I have ever heard talking about missions as I walked past the Benson, the JKB, the JFSB, and the library. I can only imagine in five years how BYU culture will have changed. I imagine higher average age of first semester freshman and a major influx of Sister RMs. I think to my mission in Thailand and imagine the sheer number of Thai Saints who will be serving. There's only one problem.<br />
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Don't get me wrong. I <i>loved </i>my mission and I wouldn't trade it for the world. This being said, however, I feel that in Mormon culture and maybe even sometimes in our teaching of Church doctrine we tend to glamorize missionary work. You don't get a blessing, put on a badge and magically become a perfect human being. Missions are full of imperfect people who are trying to do their best (for the most part). Missions are extremely difficult. There are days where you can't imagine going out in the 100 degree heat, or the negative 20 degree cold to tell disinterested people about Jesus Christ. There are other days where every appointment falls through, your companion is mad at you for some reason that you don't understand, and the food makes you sick to your stomach. You have days where you realize that you can't teach an investigator any more or that the family that you are teaching is simply เกรงใจ rather than <i>genuinely </i>interested. You wake up in the area where you have never had investigators and don't know how you can go on. For some on their missions, these days never end. They come back, disillusioned and tired. We have many who end up leaving the Church over this. Some people never talk about their mission because of this. I, however, am not really one of those people.<br />
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My mission was hard. Some of those memories are from my own experience during my two years in Thailand. I think, however, that the mission (and almost everyone's mission) is a defining experience nonetheless. You learn how to teach. You learn how to get along with people. You try to learn how to love other people. You learn that life never works out as planned. A mission is two years, but it feels like a lifetime of experience. However cliche that may sound, it is an accurate statement. For me (and this is just my experience), I also came to know that God really does love everyone. I remember one day, sitting in our small apartment on the West Side of Bangkok, I was talking with my companion about rejection. I told him to look at the map that bought and put on the wall. I told him to imagine how many people we talked to everyday. Imagine the rejection we got. Daily. Hourly. Every second of every day. Now imagine how God feels when God just wants to <i>love </i>you. God doesn't really ask much from us. We have to develop that pure and true love of God. We often hear the phrase "Love the sinner, hate the sin." If you are looking at someone and calling them a sinner, then you don't have the love of God. During Jesus' ministry to the Nephites, he never once used the word "sinner" in all of his discourse. The love of God, although hard for us to understand, is unconditional. God is sad when we make mistakes, but as our Father, he simply wants us to do our best. I tend to think that God knows our potential and guides us to reach it, but when we falter, He understands how hard life is. But that's another tangent for another day.<br />
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In the end, I am curious to see how this changes Mormon culture. Anyone have any thoughts?Seagulljaaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038345914148312417noreply@blogger.com0