Bloom In Adversity

There will always be tough times ahead. But we can be the flowers that bloom in adversity. Things will work out, no matter how downtrodden and hurt you may feel. If we are faithful and endure all the pains that life brings, we will be happier and greatly blessed in the end. God knows our pains and grief. He knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts. He loves us and wants what is best for us, even if the best seems like the worst at times. "Thru test and trial we'll have our fears, but we will not despair" (As Zion's Youth In Latter Days). Don't despair. Don't give up. You can endure, you can pull through, and you can become the most rare and beautiful of all, for you are loved beyond words, beyond reason, beyond any comprehension. There are great things in store for you. You are amazing! <3

Keep smiling,
JS

You Are Never Alone

“‘Do not fear, for I the Lord am with you’ [D&C 68:6].

“You are not alone on this journey. Your Heavenly Father knows you. Even when no one else hears you, He hears you. When you rejoice in righteousness, He rejoices with you. When you are beset with trial, He grieves with you.

“Heavenly Father’s interest in you does not depend on how rich or beautiful or healthy or smart you are. He sees you not as the world sees you; He sees who you really are. He looks on your heart. And He loves you because you are His child.

“… Seek Him earnestly, and you will find Him.

“I promise you, you are not alone.” ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Your Wonderful Journey Home

You are never alone! 

So keep a smile on your face. :)

~JS

Conquer Fear

Fear has great influence on us. Our thoughts also have powerful affect on us. What we need to do is choose to faithfully follow the Savior and keep our thoughts clean and pure. Uplifting thoughts will keep us going. The more we think uplifting thoughts instead of put-downs and judging ourselves because of our imperfections, the more we will be able to conquer the fear that stirs inside of us. Satan picks at the littlest things and makes them seem like big problems. That is when fear can take over. What we need to do is conquer the fear by being faithful and strong. Think positively, especially about yourself. Your thoughts reflect on your countenance. Are you reflecting the Lord's light, or is your light being dimmed by the adversary's shadows? You can conquer fear!

Keep smiling,
JS

Christ: Our Ultimate Advocate

Some thoughts from seminary yesterday. :)

"Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him-- Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou was well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified; Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life." Doctrine and Covenants 45:3-5

How do you feel about Jesus Christ being your Advocate and not only pleading your cause but paying the penalty for your sins?

Verse three really struck me because it said that Christ IS our Advocate and He IS pleading for us. It is powerful for me to know that He is constantly pleading our case, asking the Father for our forgiveness. He is always there for us, and He is ever-forgiving. I am so touched by that. 

What do you feel the Savior wants you to do to more fully come unto Him and accept Him as your Advocate?

He wants me to come unto Him through my thoughts and actions. I need to keep my thoughts clean and pure, and constantly repent of my sins. We all make mistakes, because we are all human. That is what happens. What we need to do is embrace the Atonement and fill our lives with Christ's grace. I am so grateful for His love for me!

Ever smiling,

JS

Dare To Be Truly Beautiful

It isn’t just about cosmetics or clothing. What makes a young woman truly attractive comes from her heart. ~Lynn G. Robbins

As a part of seminary this morning, I learned about the importance of dressing modestly and forsaking the lusts of the world. Pornography is a really dangerous thing! I can lead to so many problems and massively damages you and others.

"Young women, please understand that if you dress immodestly, you are magnifying [the problem of pornography] by becoming pornography to some of the men who see you." ~Dallin H. Oaks

It is important to dress modestly. The way we dress will often reflect who we are. Do we want others to see us as people who will throw away our values just to satisfy worldly lusts? Or do we want others to see us as confident individuals who stand firm in their beliefs and will not lower their standards? If we choose now to keep high standards of modest dress, we will better protect ourselves from the temptations of lust.

Thomas S. Monson said, "You can dress attractively without being immodest. Within the Lord's guidelines, there is room for you to be lively, vibrant, and beautiful both in your dress and your actions." We should always choose to dress modestly and avoid the lusts of the world.

One of my friends commented on a post I wrote on Google Plus about modesty. He said, "Really girls, we do notice. That quote by Elder Oaks is so true. What's worse, depending on how bad it is, any friendship that exists will suffer, because we feel terrible about thinking of you that way, but we also can't forget. Living, breathing girl friends, carefully guarding their standards are the best therapy I know of for recovering from a porn addiction. You can be the brightest light in a struggling guy's life. Please don't let yourself become  just another damaging influence. You're worth more than that."

Choose to be modest, even if dressing modestly means dressing differently than "the style" now. You really are worth more than that! Dare to be truly beautiful. :)

Ever smiling,
JS

Knock And It Shall Be Opened

As I was studying in Doctrine and Covenants this morning, I read a familiar scripture that is repeated a lot throughout most of the books of scripture.

"Ask and ye shall receive; knock and it shall be opened unto you." (Doct. & Cov. 49:26)

Normally, I just skim over that kind of verse because it is said so often that I feel like I don't need to read it anymore (as I basically have it memorized). But this time, as I read it, a thought struck me. This could very easily pertain to missionary work. I paused and pondered on the verse.

"Knock and it shall be opened unto you." What if that was referring to missionaries knocking on doors? If we ask in faith for God to lead us to the right places, to someone who needs us, the door will be opened to us and we will be accepted by the right people.

We need to fear as we strive to be the faithful missionaries that follow God's plan in calling His people to Zion, for He will open the doors for us!

Keep smiling,
JS :)

Your Prayers Limit Temptation

"Be the kind of [person] that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says, 'Oh, crap, s/he's up!'" ~Unknown

One of the first steps to being this kind of person is to pray! Your prayers have incredible effects on your life. You have the power to conquer Satan! Use it wisely--say your prayers. Talk to Heavenly Father. He will listen. If you have a sincere heart, He will answer your prayers, and you will be protected against the "fiery darts of the wicked" (see Ephesians 6:16, Doct. & Cov. 27:17).

Keep smiling,
JS