Act Upon His Word

and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations. Doctrine & Covenants 115:5

 ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come, for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen. Doctrine and Covenants 87:8

 unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness. Moroni 10:32

-JS

My Mission On Earth

What do you love?

What are you passionate about?

What is your joy?


My Mission:
~Liberate the Captive
~Spread the Beauty
~Lift the Hands That Hang Down


What would you like to do in five years pertaining to your mission?

What are some steps you can take to get you to that place in five years?

Who can help you get there?


"Give me a young man who has kept himself morally clean and has faithfully attended his Church meetings. Give me a young man who has magnified his priesthood and has earned the Duty to God Award and is an Eagle Scout. Give me a young man who is a seminary graduate and has a burning testimony of the Book of Mormon. Give me such a young man, and I will give you a young man who can perform miracles for the Lord in the mission field and throughout his life." ~President Ezra Taft Benson, To the "Youth of the Noble Birthright", May 1986

"Give me a young woman who loves home and family, who reads and ponders the scriptures daily, who has a burning testimony of the Book of Mormon. Give me a young woman who faithfully attends her church meetings, who is a seminary graduate, who has earned her Young Womanhood Recognition Award and wears it with pride! Give me a young woman who is virtuous and who has maintained her personal purity, who will not settle for less than a temple marriage, and I will give you a young woman who will perform miracles for the Lord now and throughout eternity." ~President Ezra Taft Benson, To the Young Women of the Church, October 1986

We are here for a reason. We can accomplish our Divine Missions here on earth. We can be these people. Choose now to put your trust in God, and follow His guidance. Be the miracle worker!

-JS

In the World, But Not Of the World

What are some situations in which youth are tempted to compromise their testimonies or ignore them for the things of the world?

Peer pressure. This can cause major changes in attitude and acts if we are around the wrong kind of people. We should always try to surround ourselves with friends that keep the same standards as us. 

Modesty. I can honestly admit that I have been tempted to wear a tank top instead of a modest shirt at times. But I pride myself in my modesty, and if I wear immodest clothing, then I am lowering my standards and compromising for the world, which is the exact opposite way I want to go.

What suggestions could you offer to a fellow student that would help him or her feel the promptings of the Holy Ghost and respond to those promptings when faced with temptations of this kind?

Peer pressure--Surround yourself with friends who keep the same standards as you. Be willing to politely leave if the conversation or activity is offending the Holy Ghost. Dare to be the example for others to follow!

Modesty--Be proud of your modesty. The way you dress often reflects the way you act. Choose clothing that you would be comfortable wearing in front of Christ if He were standing there beside you. 

-JS

Repent and Forgive

God wants us to forgive. He wants to forgive us. The best way to do that is through repentance.

Suppose a young woman repeats a sin she has previously committed. She worries that the Lord will no longer forgive her. But He will!


Corrie Ten Boom shared a story in The Hiding Place of how she experienced the incredible results of forgiveness. A former soldier came to her after a sermon that she gave, and asked for her forgiveness. The image of him, before he had repented, struck her mind so harshly that she could not forgive. Finally, she prayed for God to help her with this. And He did. He gave her the feeling she needed to forsake her grudge and truly, sincerely forgive. And what a great blessing it was! Not only did she forgive him, but she forgave herself, enabling God to forgive them both. Incredible!

James E. Faust said, "The power to change is very real, and it is a great spiritual gift from God."

There is always a new chance to repent and try again! Why would the Lord provide a way for us to correct our mistakes and begin anew, just to tell us we can't? He knows we will make mistakes. He knows our individual weaknesses. But He also knows that we can repent, and He wants us to! No matter how many times we sin, or how serious the sin is, He will always forgive us if we sincerely repent and do our best.

-JS

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year I have found so many things to be grateful for! Each night during my personal prayer, I would find something new to thank Heavenly Father for. But the most important thing I thank Him for is everything that He does for me. I am so grateful for His love and support, His care, His guidance. I am thankful for Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ!

Happy Thanksgiving,
-JS

Meeting My Goal

This morning, I turned on the computer, preparing to do seminary. As I was waiting for it to warm up, I started to open up my email. But then I remembered a goal that I had set for myself at the beginning of the year. I would set aside all distractions, and close all windows that don't involve seminary, so that I would finish seminary with the Spirit. That very instant, I was conflicted with a choice. Check email, or do seminary? I knew the answer. Without much thought at all, I closed my email before I could be distracted by it. Then I opened up seminary and was able to complete two lessons. If I had chosen to check email before seminary, then I probably would have gotten involved in something else, and seminary would have been pushed aside. But because of my faithful decision, I was able to catch up, and I had plenty of time to spare! This has given me a great reminder of what my ultimate goal is--to return to Heavenly Father! When I learn to accomplish my small goals, I take one step closer to my biggest goal!

-JS

Stay On Track

This quote was in my inbox this morning. Great play on words, and a good message, too! :)

-JS