Temptation Killers

My family discovered Hank Smith last year. He's a youth speaker and seminary teacher. A lot of his talks are on CDs (10 of which we own :)). On his CD "5 Temptation Killers" he talks about how to fight Satan.
Temptation killer #3 is the scriptures.
He tells the story of Jesus fasting on the mountain. Satan comes and tries to tempt Jesus. Every time Jesus comes back with a scripture.
The challenge then was for us to come up with our own "Temptation Killing Scriptures."


These are a few I've found:
2 Nephi 4:28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.

Alma 11:23 O thou child of hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the righteous yieldeth to no such temptations?

Alma 12: 6 And behold I say unto you all that this was a snare of the adversary, which he has laid to catch this people, that he might bring you into subjection unto him, that he might encircle you about with his chains, that he might chain you down to everlasting destruction, according to the power of his captivity.

(Now from the Bible :))

1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (Also my brother's favorite scripture)

What are some of your temptation killing scriptures?

Simple Missionary Moments

In case I didn't let y'all know, my family has moved across the country! Exciting, right? So I couldn't work for my dad anymore, because he had to get a new job :). Thus, I got a job here at a Health Care Manufacturing Facility.
It's pretty boring, but it brings in the bucks. (random tidbit, did you know that a dollar became known as a "buck" because a male deer's hide would be bought for $1 back in the day?)

So now that we're not in Utah, and I'm working with a bunch of people that aren't LDS, I get a lot more missionary opportunities than I used to. Here are a few of them:

I was working at a machine with another person (say his name was Aaron), and he needed to remember something later. So Aaron turned to me and said, "Hey, if I forget this later, will you call me a *******." I said, "I won't say that word, but I can remind you."
"Oh," he replied, "Then you can just call me a *****." (word that was basically the swear word)
I smiled at him and said, "But then I'd think of the word that I wasn't saying."
He looked a little confused, and asked me, "Then you've never come close to swearing?"
I thought about it for a moment, and then realized I could say, "Nope, never."
"Hm." Then we both went back to work.
It was nice to not only share my language standards, but to be able to realize that I'd never broken them. There are a lot of four-letter words floating around at my work and I sometimes think them, but as I try to block out the thoughts the words never seem to come to my mouth.
My brothers are nice, and have stopped "fake cussing" around me as well.

At my work, when people finish with jobs at their station, they'll come over to my station and help out. One of these people was making small talk with me, and relationships were brought up.
"Do you have any kids?" he asked me.
"No, I'm not married."
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
"Nope, I haven't found the right guy yet."
"Oh, so you have standards?"
That threw me. I thought that everyone had things that they wanted in their partner.
So I responded, "Yeah." Then I thought, what the heck! I'll share a brief testimony! "That's what my parents did, and they're happy together, so I guess it works."
"Oh." Then we both went back to work.
It's been really eyeopening to see how people outside of Utah view relationships and marriage. A lot of people say things like. "You're married? That's too bad. Then you'll need a divorce when you want out." I'm so happy I wasn't raised with those ideals. I hope that through sharing my testimony with that one person they'll realize that there's something more they can get. (
(side note: Pres. Packer's talk and the movie "The War Room" go very well together and talk a lot about the heavenly part of marriage.)

Finally, a couple weeks ago our ward (or local congregation) had a fast for less active members to feel the spirit again, for strong families to move in, and for missionary experiences. The next Monday, at work, the second thing anyone said to me was "So what exactly is a Mormon?"
It was AWESOME!
I basically said that Mormon's are Christians, but here are some things that make us different... . Then I outlined the Apostasy, Restoration, and Book of Mormon. It was short and I don't think they understood what I was saying (I need to work on that :S) but it was cool!

So if you want to share your belief of Christ or your standards, just think, "Tova can do it, so I can definitely do it!" :D. It's been such an amazing feeling to be able to be an instrument in God's hands. I get the feeling described in the blog description-- "This is the joy of truly penitent seeker of happiness."

Standing Firm! (Joan of Arc)

Do you have any pet peeves? Things that pick at you like popcorn caught in your teeth? One of my met peeves is personality tests. I have taken at least 5 different types of personality tests, and every time, the response is the same: for the color test, I'm tested "White," I'm peace loving. "Now for those who are white, remember that you can still stand up for yourselves." Animal test: Golden Retriever, loyal. "Now, for those who are Golden Retrievers, remember that you can still stand up for yourselves." Introvert, shy. "Now, for those of you who are introverts, remember that you can still  stand up for yourselves." Instead of "Golden Retriever" I should have been "Camel," because I can be very contrary. So when I have all these tests telling me that I don't like sharing my opinion, or that I enjoy going along with what everyone else says, I'll fight against that. It probably turned out to be a good thing, but it was still annoying.  

This pet peeve of mine could be called a 1st-World Problem. But I believe that on a bigger level, it's a universal problem. Not my irritability whenever a new personality test is brought forth, but rather, the problem of people not standing up for themselves. 

While it's perfectly fine to not care which game you play or what your going to do that night, it's not acceptable to be wishy-washy when your taking a stand about principles, family, or religion.  

We face a lot of pressure today: with gay marriage,  bad music, taking prayers out of schools, and pressure to take drugs, smoke, or drink-- it's hard. 

There's a song that goes, "I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything." Another song, by Fun, talks about this man giving in to all the wrong things, and how terrible his life is, and the refrains goes like this: "What do I stand for? What do I stand for?" 

I believe there are three basic things that everyone should stand for, no matter what race, religion, or background they may have. As the personality test coordinators stressed to me, You need to stand up for yourself! If you're just going along with what everyone says, how can you stand up for anything? Along with that, you need to stand up for other people. That is the basic first thing you need to stand up for-- other people, including yourself.  

You should stand up for your country, and your freedom. As people today just 'go with the flow' on elections, our country is falling apart. Love of their country and freedom is a driving factor in almost all revolutions. Many soldiers show that love through the sacrifice of their lives. 

Finally, you need to stand up for your beliefs, what makes you you. Your religion, or you morals, should help to guide you in different situations, when you're deciding whether or not to take a stand. 

Once upon a time, there peasant girl who, during each of the three stages of her life, exemplified each of these aspect of standing firm in one form or another. 

This girl was born in Domremy, a small village in English-occupied France. She grew up learning how to knit, sew, tend sheep, and cook meals just like any other farm girl. But unlike other farm girls, she had a light in her eyes, a fire in her heart, and a foundation that she was standing on. This girl's name was Joan of Arc. 

One night, when she was still young, a fierce blizzard was raging outside her parent's small hut. Suddenly,  a stranger burst in. He was a poor man, and had a sad, hungry look on his face. As Joan was about to offer him her bowl of porridge, her father stopped her. "You must not feed that man," he told her. "He is a mischief-maker who will only cause trouble." Joan argued back, "Well father, if his hands caused trouble, should his stomach suffer for it?" A neighbor who had been visiting took up the argument from there, and eventually persuaded Jacques (Joan's father) to relent, and let Joan share her porridge. When she was given permission to share with the stranger, Joan blushed, and responded that she had already given the stranger her bowl, and that he was fast asleep by the fire.  

Later in her life, Joan had a much different example of helping others.  

In the village of Domremy, a mad-man was kept locked up in a cage. One day, as Joan was walking with her friends, someone came running, screaming out at them that the mad-man had broken lose, and was terrorizing the village. As the friends hurried along, they heard a crashing in the bushes behind them, and out came the madman, with an ax raised above his head. Most of the youth fled in panic, but Joan did not. Instead, she walked firmly up to the madman, and held out her hand for the ax. For a brief moment, the madman held the ax above her small figure, but then, the surprise of all watching, he smiled, handed Joan the ax, and was lead docilely along back to his cage. When her friends caught up with her they naturally reprimanded her for her bold behavior. Joan explained to them that she would have been reckless if she had not made friends with the madman before that day, by feeding him, and talking to him outside his cage, and tending his wounds when the village boys threw rocks at him.  

Joan showed throughout her early life that she could and would stand up for people-- for the poor strangers, for her attacked friends, and for the abused madman.  

When she was 13, Joan was visited by Voices. It is disputed whether or not the voices were in fact physical, or simply in Joan's head, and you are free to believe what you will about that. I personally feel that she was led by the Holy Spirit, and that God knew the best way to reach her.  

These voices revealed to Joan that she was responsible for raising the siege of Orleans and crowning the Dauphin. Joan undertook her charge at once. When she was 16, Joan was instructed to begin her mission by visiting Robert de Baudricourt, requesting an armed escort to the Dauphin at Chinon. At first, she sent back home with insults and shame. But after more than a year, her request was granted, and through many more trials, Joan of Arc finally had a private conference with the Dauphin In which he was convinced about her mission. Weeks after this conference, the Charles the Dauphin named Joan the commander in chief of the French Armies.  

As she was fighting to regain a French fort (either Jargau or Patay) Joan was struck in the arm with a arrow. She fainted, and fell of her horse. When the soldiers couldn’t see her, they began to be fearful as they had been so often before. They started to retreat. When she came to herself, someone had taken the arrow out of her arm. Joan lept back onto her horse, and raced forwards, regardless of the fleeing host around her. When her friends and the generals saw her going to fight, they followed her to bring her back. But their forward motion drew the attention of the army, who, when they saw Joan back up and fighting, gained strength of heart once more, and went back to take the victory. 

Throughout this time of war and triumph, Joan shows everyone she meets that she is there to honor King Charles, and that she believes in France as it can be. To many people, she was  France, personified to them. She showed them the remarkable strength and power that came from patriotism, and standing by your country.   

After many victories, she led the Dauphin to Reims, where he was crowned, and her mission was completed. 

After her many services, she wished to go home, but that was not to be. King Charles wanted her to go on leading the armies, and so she did. During an unexpected skirmish, Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians. 

The Burgundians were the French who had sided with the English. They held Joan prisoner for almost a year to hear from King Charles, even though the English offered to buy her straight off. The Burgundians were waiting for the French to make their offer.  

And this is where the depth of King Charles’s weakness shows itself. King Charles was as wishy-washy as Joan was firm. Throughout her relationship with him, she was always trying to convince him, and to get him to hold an opinion for more than a day. Without her there to try to push him into taking a stand, he didn’t know how. King Charles never offered anything to save Joan of Arc. When she had plunged into battle to save France for him, and when she fought her way to Reims so he could be crowned, he promised her anything. But now, when she really needed something, he remained silent. 

For me, this weakness puts him lower than the low. I think more of Hitler than I think of this King Charles. Because Hitler fought for something, although it was a very terrible, sick, and wrong something. King Charles, however, sat on his behind, and watched his Commander-in-Chief, the Savior of France, be sold to the English. 

The reason we know so much about Joan of Arc, is because of her trial in Rouen, which was headed by Pierre Cauchon, the bishop of that city. The trial lasted for two months, during which time Joan was badgered, lied to, heard her words twisted, and was even threatened with torture. Once, a lawyer dressed up as a priest, and went to Joan for her confession, and then used her confession against her in the trial. 

As the trial opened, they tried to make her swear an oath to answer them truthfully on everything. Joan refused, telling them that she was forbidden to reveal certain things, but that she would answer them truthfully in everything she could. They eventually agreed to accept that oath, but had used up all of their time, so they adjourned until the next day. The next day they gave her the same oath that she had refused the previous day, and ordered her to swear to it. They repeated this over and over again, sporadically throughout the trial, but each time, she stood her ground, and would not answer those questions that she’d been forbidden to answer.  

Finally, a month later, after she had been deprived of sleep, of light, of fresh air, and of friendly company, she was convicted and taken to the stake. At the sight of it, she shrank, and for a moment, she lost her footing. She recanted everything she’d said. She’d been promised that if she did so, she’d be set free, or at least allowed a cell above ground, and some women for company.  

However, these promises were not fulfilled, even though the English had gotten what they wanted. A few days later, in her dark cell,  Joan recanted her recantation. She knew she’d done wrong, and that she’d stumbled. But she was on her foundation again, and she would not step down. On May 30th, 1431, Joan was led out of the prison to a cart, and driven to the stake. On her way there, a man ran up to her—the man who’d disguised himself as a priest and lied to her. Weeping, he begged her forgiveness. And Joan forgave him. On her way to her death that he had helped to plan, she forgave him.  

Then they arrived at the square. There, Joan was tied to the stake, and burned.  

Throughout her short life, Joan had stood tall. She had kept her fire in her heart, and had kept her feet on firm ground.  

We can keep our own fire in our hearts. Though the world may reach to drag us down, we can climb higher.   

Remember the words of Robert Service’s poem: 

Carry on! Carry on!---Fight the good fight and true; 

Believe in your mission, greet life with a cheer; 

There’s big work to do, and that’s why you are here. 

      Carry on! Carry on!--- Let the world be the better for you; 

And at last when you die, let this be your cry! 

      Carry on, my soul! Carry on 

Not Neccessarily Christmas....

This is my new favorite Bible Video that the LDS Church has made:

MISSIONARIES!

I recently had the awesome experience of having my oldest cousin leave on her mission! 

Now, what a missionary for the Church does is leave home for 2yrs for boys, and 18 months for girls. They live there life totally for other people-- inviting them to come to Christ, and serving them.

In 2012, Pres. Monson changed the ages that men and women could leave for their mission: boys could now leave at 18 (before it was 19), and girls could leave when they were 19 (previously 21).
After this, there has been a HUGE increase in missionaries in the field. Here is a news article from the Church about it, and about the lives of some missionaries in New York, NY.

I personally am preparing for my mission. You need to pay for it yourself, so I am saving up my money. I'm also doing my best to live a life that would make my Heavenly Father proud of me, and that sets a good example to others.

The message of the missionaries (and of the church) is that through Christ you cam make it to Heaven, and be with Heavenly Father again. Even if you're imperfect, Christ has performed the Atonement for us, and we can change.

I'm going to end by sharing this poem (again):

After All We Can Do 

By Robbie Pierce  I had been in that hole for a very long time- 
In the dark and the damp, in the cold and the slime. 
The shaft was above me; I saw it quite clear, 
But there's no way I ever could reach it from here. 
I could not remember the world way up there, 
So I lost every hope and gave in to despair.   
I knew nothing but darkness, the floor, and the wall. 
Then from off in the distance I heard someone call: 
"Get up! Get ready! There's nothing the matter! 
Take rocks and take sticks and build up a fine ladder!" 
This was a thought that had not crossed my mind, 
I started to stack all the stones I could find.   
When I ran out of stones, then old sticks were my goal, 
For some way or another I'd climb from that hole. 
I soon had a ladder that stood very tall, 
And I thought, I'll soon leave this place once and for all! 
I climbed up my ladder, a difficult chore, 
For from lifting those boulders, my shoulders were sore.   
I climbed up the ladder, but soon had to stop, 
For my ladder stopped short, some ten feet from the top. 
I went back down my ladder and felt all around, 
But there were no more boulders, nor sticks to be found. 
I sat down in the darkness and started to cry. 
I'd done all I could do, and I gave my best try. 
But in spite of my work, in this hole I must die. 
And all I could do was to sit and think, Why?   
Was my ladder too short? Was my hole much too deep? 
Then from way up on high came a voice: "Do not weep." 
And then faith, hope, and love entered into my chest 
As the voice calmly told me that I'd done my best.   
He said, You have worked hard, and your labor's been rough, 
But the ladder you've built is at last tall enough. 
So do not despair there is reason to hope, 
Just climb up my ladder; I'll throw down my rope. 
I climbed up my ladder, then climbed up the cored. 
When I got to the top of it, there stood the Lord.   
I've never been happier; my struggle was done. 
I blinked in the brightness that came from the Son. 
I fell to the ground as His feet I did kiss. 
I cried, "Lord, can I ever repay Thee for this?" 
He looked all about. There were holes in the ground. 
They had people inside, and were seen all around.   
There were thousands of holes that were damp dark and deep. 
Then the Lord looked at me, and He said: "Feed my sheep," 
And He went on his way to save other lost souls. 
So I got right to work, calling down to the holes, 
"Get up! Get ready! There is nothing the matter! 
Take rocks, and take sticks, and build up a fine ladder!"   
It now was my calling to spread the good word, 
The most glorious message that man ever heard: 
That there's one who is coming to save one and all, 
And we need to be ready when He gives the call. 
He'll pull us all out of the holes that we're in 
And save all our souls from cold, death, and from sin.  
So do not lose faith; there is reason to hope: 
Just climb up your ladder; He'll throw down His rope

What do those crazy Mormons believe in, anyway? part 11 (almost there :))

(note: this is the only one that doesn't start with "We believe...")
We claim the privlige of worshipping all-mighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience. And allow all men the same privlige; let them worship how where, or what they may.

 This one is talking about religious freedom. We claim the right to worship God the way we want to. And we respect that others have the right, too. This one is fairly straightforward, and it is very important.

"The Fellowship of the Unashamed" an AWESOME poem

This poem was supposedly written by an African Paster before he was martyred.
I memorized it once, and it is AMAZING!

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made; I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, Colorless dreams, tinted visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need pre-eminence, positions, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.
I now live by Faith, lean on His presence, walk with patience. I am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear.
I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table with the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, and paid up for the cause of Christ.
I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me.  And when He returns for His Own, He will have no problem recognizing me.  My Banner will be clear.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of GOD unto Salvation to every one that believeth…” Romans 1:16.